Wade, quite stereotypically, does not enjoy shopping. He would rather give me his sizes and colors and have me go on my own. While that accomplishes the task, it robs me of the fun.
Josie, Taylor's friend, turned 21 a few weeks ago and the two events created the perfect reason to meet Duchess and shop.
I asked Joey before we left if we had a budget. He paused and said, "No - it's not like you would stick to it any way. You and Taylor never did." Wow - and all this time I thought I had successfully duped him.
Two pedicures later and after the nourishment of chips and queso, we were ready to shop and shop we did. A few folks asked if we were sisters - okay, it was the dude at the nail salon who probably was just angling for a tip, but I am going with it. We laughed and offered that we were just friends enjoying a girls day. We found some very hip purchases and discovered that we both love soft t-shirt dresses, even though we may already have several, and anything colored olive. She recommends great books to read and so we shared our thoughts on All the Light We Cannot See. Highly insightful and brutally intelligent, Josie would be great fun as a regular book club member. Her quick wit and sly cunning create rich conversation, if not a well-placed slam.
She is healing physically and emotionally. There's new purpose and the same ole spunky rebellion and there's gentle contemplation. There's still a box deep inside her where she tucks away the hardest, sweetest, most private of the "feels". Like a good detective, she seldom tells all she knows or all she's thinking. Still time with her always brings me hope.
When she changes the world, people, you'll remember that her mama has always called her "small but mighty"; you'll remember she walked on two broken legs and a broken pelvis before she was supposed to; you'll remember she studied organic chemistry in Italy; you'll remember she met her PT goals with great determination -every time she was sent back; you'll remember she went back to school weeks after being destroyed physically and emotionally; you'll remember that she was a heart-friend to this mama's girl in a very short nine months. Now, we don't remember a time without her.
Here's to shopping, and pedicures, healing and hope,
..... and to Josie.
#golighttheworld