I Do Think You're the Nicest Little Friend I've Ever Had!

The last couple of months have been a bit of a challenge for me. Between two perpetually sick preschoolers, helping a few friends with their projects, and keeping our house just barely running, I’ve been a very bad emerging author. I didn’t even emerge to say Happy New Year! Sorry about that kind readers. In honor of Groundhog’s day earlier this week, I am emerging, and damn the shadows, full speed ahead! I’m going to write and post as often as I can. Consider it my Groundhog’s day resolution. Some days it will be quality literary work and some days it will just be stuff on a blog. Let’s see what I have up my sleeve today.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon were right. All we need is love. Some people may argue, but really it’s simple. If someone loves you there will be food to eat; when love comes to town, no one gets left out in the street. With love comes kindness, and suddenly it sprouts a heart, legs and arms and manifests as your family and friends. At the end of It’s a Wonderful Life, Clarence writes to George in the pages of Tom Sawyer, “No man is a failure who has friends!” That little angel finally got it right. If you’ve got a friend, you’ll be okay.

For those of you who feel like that is just a little too cliché, consider this: The dead hooker friend. Someone recently asked me, “Who’s your dead hooker friend?” I was awash in confusion and worry for just long enough to feel like a weirdo, until they added, “You know, the person you’d call if you woke up to find a dead hooker in your house and no idea how it happened. Who’s the friend who would just show up with a shovel, no questions asked, no judgment and just start digging?” Now, of course, most of us would never have this situation arise in our lives, but suddenly, we can all name exactly who it is we would call, and not just because they still have your shovel.

Everyone should have at least one friend of this caliber during their life. Call it what you like: the dead-hooker-friend, or the no-questions-asked-friend, I’ve been lucky enough to have several. In fact, I had lunch with one of them yesterday. Usually having lunch with Joe is not a big deal, but this day he had conspired with my husband and arranged a surprise reunion with a second friend, someone I hadn’t seen for more than 30 years.

She had been my first no-questions-asked-friend, and the minute I saw her blue eyes I knew I could still count on her. She hadn’t changed a bit, and really, I suppose I haven’t either. I was instantly transported through time and space. I was a tough little tomboy perched in the branches of a sycamore tree, her by my side, scanning for the approaching danger of brothers. Her hair is still golden yellow, and her glasses are still stark black squares on her shining peach face. In the instant it took for my brain to process all of this, my throat tightened and squeezed tears from my eyes.  I couldn’t stop myself from laughing as I hugged her.

Decked out in her usual blue with white polka-dots, the first thing she said to me, after all these years was, “I do think you’re the nicest little friend I’ve ever had!”

“Me too,” I cried.

If you're first steadfast friend was an old woman in blue and white dolka dots, you might enjoy this collection of voice-box recordings from the beloved Mrs. Beasley. But, do be careful, dear, you may find yourself whisked away to a tea party in the distant past or up a tree, hiding.
http://ftp.wi.net/~candrews/Voice_Samples/voice_samples.html