Oh thank god for my Frog

Everyone should have one person to whom they never have to explain, they never have to give the back story, that friend understands their life so well that no explanations are ever needed. After years apart, you catch up like it was yesterday. Such was my weekend with Frog, who came for some much needed girl time.

Frog has had a rough year, dealing with the death of her father, her husband's continued unemployment and trying to raise two boys to be smart and sweet and fun, while keeping their memories of their grandfather fresh. Sadly, her mother died before she even married and these little boys were born, so they have had no memories of Grandma W, and her husbands parents passed away a long time ago.

Watching Frog go through the agony of what to keep, what to give away, what to sell, what to do with all the awesome and amazing things in that house is teaching me a lot about the woman she is becoming. I never knew how strong we could be as women, as daughters, as mothers, as wives. She is pulling apart and dismanteling her childhood and trying to do it with grace and common sense, when each item tears at her heart, full of wonderful memories. As we watched chick flicks, ate chocolate and drank some good wine this weekend, I learned how gracefully she is dealing with this, trying to keep all the different people involved happy and included and how little support she has in dealing with this. And I wish I could somehow do more than just putting an arm around her shoulder and being here to ease the burden.

But for one weekend, the two of us were able to forget the burdens of being adults, forget the inhibitions of being afraid to sing out loud, and forgive each other for crying in pain and in love and just hold on to each other as old high school chums, piled on the bed together, thinking of the songs in the movie we saw the night before and how late we could loll around and not feel completely guilty for out lack of effort.

It was great to be a girl again for a few hours, it was great to be a girl with my Frog, and I intend in 2009 to demand more Fred & Frog time, because I sense we both need it. I know I do.

LYLAS, Frog!

Fred