It's been too long.

Have you ever just lost track of a friend? A friend that you once considered one of your best friends? The friend who knew everything about you, the sister-friend who you loved and sometimes hated, but always, always loved?

How does that happen?

How is it that I haven't spoken to perhaps the most important friend from my growing-up years in almost 20 years? How is it that we didn't even attend each others' weddings and didn't know of each others' pregnancies?

How is it that an email from my mom informing me of my friend's mothers' death was the catalyst for our reunion? How is it that the first time I met my friends' daughters and she met my son was at her mother's funeral?

How did that happen? I'll tell you how. New college boyfriends, new jobs, new towns, new interests. Petty differences, a smidge of jealousy (mine, I'll admit), and a wicked rebellious spell (again, mine). But not one good reason. Not one.

Seeing her and hearing her voice again for the first time in so long almost took my breath away. I would have known her anywhere. She's still the most beautiful, poised, and kind person I've ever met. Her younger daughter and Al are only months apart in age. We live less than two hours from each other. How the hell does that happen?

How wonderful it was to see each other again. How good it was to be face-to-face. How sorry I was of the circumstances, I said. But it's good, nonetheless, she replied.

What I didn't say was this: No, it's not good. It's not good that we let 20 years pass. It's not good that you lost your sweet mom, and I would gladly give back this reunion for you to be able to still have your mother around to watch your daughters grow up. It's not OK.

But it's all we've got. And I hope I use the next 20 years more wisely than I've spent the last.

Mama always said I had a taste for roughness.

Dear Ugly Betty,
I realize that perhaps I am not your most faithful fan--I only watched your season premier this morning while doing my daily 2 miles on the treadmill. Sometimes it's hard, you know, to keep up with everything. But for the last year, I have been a loyal devotee. What a breath of fresh air you have been, showing millions of viewers that what most perceive as important or beautiful is really quite petty, and that the "little guy" is the one who is worth our attention most often. And so, when I realized that one of your more peripheral characters--one of the "minor" characters--had become my favorite, I knew you'd understand.

But I guess you didn't. So, I'm keeping my word. I'm quitting you. I might have been able to forgive you for killing my favorite dude on television, but bitch-slapping me with it like that? That was just harsh, man.

Later,
Jeze