10 Years

Tara and I met in our early twenties while working retail. It was a miserable job with miserable hours, but what job isn't miserable when you're 22? We were both managers at a tweeny-teeny apparel store, toiling through mounds of t-shirts, crying through holiday season and learning how to work at 8:00am after a night that ended at 3:00am prior. Needless to say, she and I became friends relatively quickly and have stayed friends since.

The funny thing about 10 years is it doesn't SEEM like that long when you say it out loud. But, when you start bringing ages into play, a decade has a way of stretching. I'd say early twenties to early thirties is a pretty significant gulf of time as far as growing up is concerned. I'm not embarrassed to admit that Tara, while a few years younger, definitely grew up before I did. I was still holding on to loads of inappropriate things long after she met her (now) husband, got married, bought a house and generally grew into the fabulous adult she is today.

Where Tara really shines in my heart is her unfailing willingness to accept me where I am. And where I was before I got to where I am. Are you following? She has an infectious laugh, razor-sharp wit and the most expressive eyebrows I've ever witnessed. I told her this when we met for coffee this last weekend. Well, the eyebrow part at least. She's the kind of girl (or woman, I guess. We are adults now...) who always rsvp's, sends Christmas cards and birth announcements.

So, really, this weekend's coffee date was somewhat about catching up, but mostly about Sweet Miss P., Tara's beautiful daughter. And her expressive eyebrows.