T,G,J,H,H,M Come for a Visit
Todd and Gina are our long-time couple friends. I’ve been friends with them for nearly 25 years. I’ve always been proud that they came into the marriage with me since Buds adores them, too. It’s like finding the perfect gift for someone. I may screw up many, many times over the years, but all will be forgiven because I gave him Todd and Gina.
I still vividly remember calling them to tell them about meeting Buddie back in ’94. I was sitting on his lap in the kitchen of the apartment I shared with Steffer Ragsbottom while I talked with Todd and Gina on the phone.
Gina said, “Can you be yourself with him? Do you feel completely comfortable with him?”
Yes, yes I did…and still do.
Gina was there when Zachary was born at home. She stuck with us through all 12 hours of that long, long, lloooonnnnggg day.
They let us bring my very frail and somewhat cranky father to their home so he would have a project to work on when they wanted to finish their basement. (He provided the know-how, the rest of us provided the brawn.)
All of this is a very long introduction to explain that having Gina and Todd and Crew visit makes me very, very happy.
Mayhaps it is because a visit with Gina and Todd and their crew is like going home. It’s just comfortable and relaxed and safe.
Being with Todd and Gina brings out the best in Buds and me. They make us want to be our best selves. But the great thing is, we might want to be our best selves with them, but they actually know all the sides of us; good, bad, cranky, snotty, angry, cursey, and silly.
Without further delay, here’s the write up of what we did, but the most important parts are what you can’t see: The issues I’d been saving up for weeks to talk through with Gina; the conversations about their future home building; trips we’re all going to be taking; hearing the children laugh and talk for hours.
Yessa did spend a day with the throw-ups in the middle of the visit, which was a sad point for her, but everyone else discovered the Tiny Car Museum, which will now be one of our “Musts” with visitors. (Get ready, Tania!)
Here is the visit in pictures. I didn’t actually take many, so focused was I on soaking up every minute of time with them.
This is the first time in a very long time that I don’t have a date on the calendar to know when we’ll be seeing them next. Maybe that’s why I felt such a need to write a bit of a “love letter” post. Thanks for accepting my self-indulgence.
