Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Birthday Cup-cakes

I believe that certain people come into your life to fulfill very specific needs. Amber fills my Couple Cup. Ami fills my Laugh Cup. Anne fills my Soul Cup. Aubrey fills my Let’s Discuss Nonsense Cup. And that’s just the A’s…

I know how lucky I am to have a mother-in-law who fills my adoration cup. Rocky’s mom, Linda, makes me feel like she couldn’t have picked a better daughter-in-law. Even if I disappoint her from time to time, like cheering for UT on occasion, or moving her son to Virginia, she fools me into thinking she couldn’t have gotten luckier to have this Polish-Democrat from Minnesota to call her daughter-in-law. She loves me to pieces and is good at glossing over my rough spots (Not that I have many, of course.)

She loved me before she met me. The first thing she said to me was “How do you like Tennessee?” The lady knew Rocky and I were in it for the long haul even though we’d barely been on two dates.

Her open heart was eager to share that love and adoration with a grandbaby. I made her wait a few years longer than she would have hoped, but I needed to have my adoration cup filled before she moved on to fill little Bennett’s adoration cup. He’s the prettiest, smartest, sweetest baby she’s ever known. She might be biased, but she is that generous with just about every other man, woman and child she’s ever met.

My dear friend, Sarah, my college sister, fills my Peas and Carrots Cup. We lived together for three years and I spent more time in her dorm room my freshman year than I did in my own.  From first glance, we are innately different, but deep down we fill each other with goodness.

Our first weekend on campus, Sarah asked me if I'd like to go with her to open a student checking account.  I couldn't believe my luck.  This nice, pretty girl was inviting me to join her in public.  I tried so hard not to say something stupid like "Don't you just crave cheese curds?"  I'd save those deep thoughts until later in our relationship. 

Sarah was always there for me.  There was only one time in my relationship with Rocky that we came perilously close to breaking up.  Sarah couldn't sit idly by and sent that boy a shape-up-or-ship-out email.  It was a turning point for me, Rocky and Sarah.  Then, when I busted my knee, she drove me to physical therapy and made me believe I wouldn't walk like a gimp forever. 

Like any relationship, closeness ebbs and flows.  These days, we're seperated by a few hundred miles and mounds of dirty diapers.  Just like some days peas or carrots stand better alone, soon you realize they are just better together.

Linda and Sarah both came along at the most impressionable times in my life.  They fill parts of my soul like no one else can.  It makes me so happy to celebrate these two lovely ladies' birthdays this week.   My cup runneth over thanks to them.

1 comment:

  1. That was such a nice post! I can't wait to adore Bennett to pieces during Easter!

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