bittersweet.

                               
Today was one of those bittersweet days, that even as I sit here, I really can't even believe happened. I spent the afternoon at a "celebration of life" for a co-worker. I didn't quite get it either, but when my big boss announced it and said, "its a celebration of life. Not a memorial. Not a funeral." I got it. It was lovely. Simple. No fuss, no muss. It was an opportunity to just gather and acknowledge this person was here, had somehow touched everyone who had gathered, and now had gone on. I think this was exactly what she would have preferred as she was an intensely private person. I actually really respected the idea. Not too emotional, not too heavy, but of course I still felt a little sad. I am glad I went and feel privileged to have been included, however, I think I'm going to go back to pretending she just moved away. May seem cowardly, but its just easier, and I think she may have liked the idea of that image lingering too. 

After this "celebration" I came home to find a message from one of my favorite childhood friends. This friend and I were both "new kids" to our elementary school and lived just up the street from each other. We became fast friends on the first day of the 5th grade and spent the next 5+ years making memories I will never forget. Time came and went, there were new friends, moves, and you know...life. But we always kept in touch. I was honored when I came home to find an IM from my old friend saying the "the baby comes tomorrow," Wowza, how was my 12-year-old friend having a baby??! KIDDING. Like me, my friend has turned into a grownie and was about to enter the most exclusive, privileged, non-glamorous, tricky, life changing club ever created...parenthood. I could not have been happier. Turns out that baby had plans of its own to get out asap, and Mr. Sawyer Snyder was welcomed this afternoon. Beeeaautiful. I wanted to say all of the silly but oh-so-true things people say when a new baby arrives, but for some reason that is not what I wrote in reply. Instead, I simply asked if someday Sawyer could come over to this old neighborhood we grew up in (and where I now live with my own little family) and spend hours and afternoons playing McDonalds Drive Thru in our front picture window with Dash, just like we used to. (so goofy, but ga, one of our favorite shared memories). Deal? Deal.

Ah Life. Completely Bittersweet.