My Friend Laurie

I've realized of late that every time I'm talking about my friend Laurie, I preface it with "my friend". I never just say "Laurie"-- I guess this is because she is one of my very few close friends that is NOT from college. Almost all of my friends are friends with each other-- and she is one of the few that (for now anyway) is mostly just MY friend. And so I guess that is why to everyone else in my world, she is known as "my friend Laurie".

Anyhoo-- believe it or not, this post is not just to explain the foibles of my speech patterns....... this post is really more to explain the total uniqueness that is my friend Laurie and to tell you all how generally awesome she is. And so, to celebrate her birthday, I present to you a list of some of the reasons that I love Laurie. (At least I'm pretty sure it is her birthday-- if not, she will enjoy the list anyway and generally just think I'm being eccentric)

1. I've never met anyone who puts more thought into her friendships.

2. She remembers everything I've ever told her....even things I don't remember saying. She can tell you the first and middle names of all my nieces and nephews-- and I wouldn't doubt she might know their birthday months too.

3. She is one of the most empowering friends I've ever had (and incidentally, the only one to talk me into buying a backless shirt!)

4. She analyzes things even more than I do. When we get together and analyze a situation I think we could even give Freud a headache.

5. She cherishes and protects the uniqueness of her daughters.

6. She sees eccentricity as a gift.

7. She has no idea how smart she really is. (Ok, I don't really love her for this one-- I wish she DID know how smart she is-- but I had to put it on the list because I like to give her a hard time about it)

8. I can go without talking to her for 6 months (not that I try to do that) and we can still pick right back up where we left off.

9. She is one of the most open-hearted and generous people I know.

10. She talked me into trying laser-hair removal.

11. She let me live with her and finish my thesis and she even bought me Cocoa Puffs.

12. She didn't bat an eye when I told her that her husband should walk around in his flight suit more often.

13. She respects honesty

14. She loves products even more than me.

15. She loves to preface things with "GIRL"-- and I catch myself doing it when I'm talking to her. No one else could make me do that. (not that she tries)

16. She is a wonderful writer.

17. She is incredibly loyal.

18. She threw me a surprise party and really, totally surprised me.

19. She still dances. (And I mean that literally, not metaphorically)