Friends

Today my friend Gayle and I took on the world. Well, in my little world anyway.  My days are pretty similar within a rotating pattern of 4 types.....

1.  A day full of medical at any of our varied medical facilities; Children's Hospital, North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital, University of Washington Hospital, The Chiari Institute, the NIH, any number of universities that are studying us, or any of our many local doctors and labs.

2.  A stay-at-home homeshooling day along with some laundry, chores and meals sprinkled in.

3.  What we call a "Bum Day"....those are the BEST !  Reading, gardening, calls, blogging, organizing, etc.

4. Sundays which are family/church/BBQ days.

   However, a couple Saturdays a month Gayle the Trouble Maker calls and kidnaps me for a day of goofing off and food !  She's a wonderful friend except she's nuts. There's nothing she won't say and it's usually about me to some stranger. 

Like....

She once told a waiter that I write bad checks so be sure not to take one from me especially since I drink too much. This was said as she was wearing her police department shirt (She works for a local police department) !!!!  Do you think that man believed me after seeing that?  Nope.  He gave me the weirdest looks.  I just groaned. Since some of you don't know me, I am "Miss Obey The Rules" kinda gal and I don't drink.  I kind of look prim and proper too.

She will tell any sales person, waitress, gas station attendant, anyone, whatever falsehood comes into her head about me. Sigh..... 

 With our Medical Circus and her working for law enforcement we both need goof-off time in a big way.  It always begins with food then usually shopping then some sort of treat.  The best part though is the visiting.  She's as out-going as I am so there's no shortage of words. We never get everything said.

   What I am mulling over this evening after spending the day with Gayle is how awesome it is to have a wonderful friend who is totally different than myself.  She has one grown child, she is retired from 20 years in the Air Force, has been all over the world, is super adventurous, loves to exercise, is an Energizer Bunny, is a Democrat, and on and on.  I love those traits about her and even though some she has are totally opposite of mine, we have never had a single argument.  We know we differ on some things but choose not to worry about it. Life is short. With our medical and her law enforcement days we realize life really is short....it isn't just a saying.

   The most important thing I admire and appreciate, is her non-judgemental ear. She listens and never judges.  The second, is she sees me as a whole person.  That may sound weird but I am very good at what our family calls La-La-La-ing. This means with all our crazy medical issues that are never going away, regardless of our symptoms, pain level, stamina, we can appear normal for a time.  But Gayle (as well as a small hand full of friends) can see through it and she doesn't care one bit if I cannot walk to shop or cannot eat because of nausea.  I never feel I am ruining her time or am making her uncomfortable as some are with disability. It means so much to me that she will still order what she likes, she'll order me a tea and honey and we sit for hours just talking.  On my slower days we may just run her errands but I sit in the car as she runs in and out. We visit as she drives and we have a ball. She just integrates my disabilities into her day. She takes me for what I am, totally.  This is a true blessing.

   So here's to lovely friends, being kidnapped and coming home.  Thanks Gayle.

~Blessings~

 Lisa