Happy Birthday Tahootie The Gypsy!

I’d like to tell you about my friend.

 

She’s more than a friend really.

Best friend doesn’t cut it either.

Sister is closer, but not that either.

We’re really too different to be soulmates.

We’re really too alike to not be soulmates.

My girl Talaura turns 40 today. She’s…I think…one of the last ones of us to get here. And honey, we’re welcoming you. All of us on this side of that age box, welcoming you with open arms.

Here are a few things you should know about her:

She likes her hot drinks cold and her cold pops room temperature.

She will, at any given moment, have the ability to dig into the trunk of her car, into her closet, into her desk drawer, and put together an amazing costume.

She has a wit that is sharp and fast.

She has a heart that is ginormous and welcoming.

She sometimes mixes up her Dayquil and her NyQuil and will sleep through her soap operas on a sick day.

She’s a lot nicer than she used to be in regards to nicknames.

Girl can see something, then make it the next day. She has an eye for creating.

She can string a line of words together that will make you weep, or sing, or weepandsing.

She loves you back.

If you’re feeling lonely, in a new city and a new state, she will stay on the phone with you and talk in a character voice opposite of your character voice and play out the Redneck Boyfriend Scene until you’re both crying from laughter.

She will hold you when you cry.

She will pick you up when you fall down.

If your marriage is dissolving before your eyes, she will pack you into her car, and she will drive you to a place where you will be ok.

If your marriage dissolves and she happens to be living with you at the time, she will, without judgement or malice, live with you in a one room/one bed rent by the week motel for the rest of the summer.

And she’ll make it fun.

She’s one of the most talented shoppers I’ve ever seen.

She remembers. Everything. Everything that I do not.

Her laugh will light up a night.

She will totally support you when you order that next bottle of wine.

If your plane is late and she’s picking you up, and it winds up being 1assoclock in the morning before you get there, she will make you a peanut butter sandwich and bring sunchips and a soda for when you get off the plane.

She gets a serious case of the nerves. Sometimes.

She is as strong as she is fragile.

She lands on her feet.

I know, without a doubt, that this leap into the new decade can be a wonky one. And we all have our own experience with it. I also know that while there may be a day or two where we all go HOW THE HELL did this happen??- that this girl, our girl, my friendsistersoulmate is going to OWN this decade.

I’m forever grateful that she’s kept me along for the ride.

Happy Birthday sweet girl. I love you with my whole heart. We shall celebrate with uncommon levels of the ridiculous when you come home for Christmas. That’s a dang promise.