Happy Friend-iversary, Lindsay!

"You always said how lucky you were that we were all friends. But it was us, baby, who were the lucky ones.”

-- Maureen, RENT



Friends are a special kind of family. The best of friends share a bond free of familial obligation and expectation. A connection, born from common ground or shared experience, grows into the strongest feelings of loyalty, love, compassion, companionship, trust, support, sympathy, and celebration.

They are the first people we think to call when something great or troublesome happens. They are people we look to for advice when we’re struggling with a tough decision. For them, we’ll drop everything when we’re called upon for help – no thought, no hesitation. Friends carry us through our darkest, most difficult times; and they share in our happiness and joy.

The biggest tragedy is to take friendship for granted. But every now and then, we experience a moment of realization to appreciate those people in our lives who mean the most to us. I had one of those moments yesterday.

A little over a year ago, I met Lindsay online in an American Idol chatroom as part of a blogmunity we are both a part of. It started superficially, talking about the latest crop of contestants. Quickly, our conversations extended beyond the chatroom on Tuesdays and Wednesday nights. We got to know each other more, surprised to find out how much alike we are. The mettle of our friendship has been tested with a break up, employment stresses, sending off close friends moving to California, and various other difficulties in our individual lives. Still, we’ve shared some incredible experiences, including a Jay Brannan concert; two trips into Manhattan to see Altar Boyz, and now my first time seeing RENT live on stage.

I’m so thankful that we met. Happy Friend-iversary, Lindsay! I love you!



On a side note, seeing RENT on stage for the first time was amazing. Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, the original Roger and Mark, are a part of this national tour. They were incredible, and the whole experience was unforgettable. Lindsay and her mom drove all the way up from DC to be there with me. Granted, it didn't take any arm twisting whatsoever, but I'm still glad they came.