Tuesday, June 13, 2006

One week after 060606

I met Patrice in ninth grade Executive Council homeroom in the fall of 1988. She was then and always will be cooler than me. Not from trying - she’s just naturally so smart, so singular, so stylish. And while I was wearing vests everyday, matching my lipstick to my nail polish, and listening to Bad English, Patrice was rockin’ Converse and listening to Violent Femmes. She was way out of my style league, but I guess she took pity on me.

Eighteen years later and Patrice is still my best friend. That’s a lot of good times, a lot of bad, a lot of water under the bridge. There were times during each others lives where we lost touch, had tiffs, weren’t there when we should have been – and there were also plenty of times we shared in each other’s extreme happiness and sorrow. She’s been such an integral part of my life for so long that I can’t imagine my life without her – and I don’t want to. She makes me laugh, shares her wisdom and makes me infinitely cooler by association.

Today is Patrice’s 32nd birthday. In the new year of Patrice I hope I’m a better friend to her than I ever have been. That as she successfully pursues her happiness that I’m by her side to cheer her on in the good times and to listen with understanding in the bad. Because a life long friendship doesn’t pop up every day. Especially with someone as cool as Patrice.

I love you, Patrice.

2 comments:

hazel said...

where the fuck are the tissues? I can't see anything, it's all blurry.

I couldn't ask for a better friend. if you are any better to me than you already are, you may cause me to explode.

and you were much cooler than me in high school.

I love you too, nicole.

Anonymous said...

Aw! Happy Birthday Patrice!