I received a really special gift a bit ago from a great friend. He's one of the only guy friends I exchange gifts with, and we've taken to being very thoughtful about selecting things the other will really appreciate. I think I outdid myself with his 40th birthday gift as one of the best gifts I've ever given anyone. It's nice to have people in your life that you know will be just as thoughtful for you as you are for them.
This year, he and his lovely wife gave me a gift that was perfect for me. They got me tickets to "The Cooking Show," which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It's a restaurant in Boston that actually films in the back and teaches and films a cooking class as well. The host was fantastic, the meal was delicious, and the night was a ton of fun. I brought one of my best girlfriends as a belated celebration of our two birthdays. It turned into a special, albeit complicated night.
We don't get a lot of time to spend together. Being able to spend time with her isn't just fun for me…it's a luxury I really cherish. I don't think my friends really appreciate how much it means to me when I get this kind of time with them. It's limited and infrequent, and when I get it, it's meaningful. I don't take it for granted when someone gives up a night away from their family to spend their time with me. It's easier for some of them to get time away, but it still means a lot to me. Maybe more than they realize.
Fortunately, we were able to grab a drink before we headed to the show so we could really catch up.
Unfortunately, right before we were seated, we found out that my youngest daughter, who had plans to spend the night with a girlfriend, was headed home. Her friend has fallen ill. My older daughter was at a birthday party and wouldn't be home until later. I'm stuck in Boston, trying to enjoy a rare planned night out, and now dealing with the stress of two kids entering an empty house which wasn't the plan. And, like everything else we've had to deal with, you find a way to make it work.
I am fortunate. I do not get overly stressed out. I have responsible girls. I have a problem solving personality. I have the ability to move on quickly, and therefore was able to figure out how to make their situation work and then enjoy my night and still be home by 9:15. Of course, my friend was able to head out and join up with the rest of our friends who are out having fun together tonight. My situation doesn't allow for that yet. Someday, but not yet.
It's a hard balance, trying to make all these decisions about what is best for the girls and I. All three of us need time with our friends, and time to go out and explore new things. I am so incredibly grateful to my friend who gave me the wonderful experience of the Cooking Show, because I learned some great new recipes and had a blast with a wonderful friend. And I am grateful to that friend for being such an incredible sense of stability in my life when I didn't feel like I had much over the last year.
Most, however, I am grateful to my girls. Because now matter what else is going on in my life, I know that they are the North that my compass will always point back to. And I'll take coming home early for them as long as I can, knowing they won't be here but only for a few more years. Sometimes it's not easy life, but I'll take it with these girls all day long.
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