storms & quiet interludes

Mom and I went to Seattle last week to visit a family friend, L, who is very sick with cancer, and won't be with us much longer (maybe a year or so). They've been friends for 35 years and go way back, from Mom's South Side of Chicago Days (in Beverly) where she and my father are from. I haven't seen L or her family in about 13 or 14 years, and it was a weekend filled with reminiscing, partying, sight-seeing, sadness, and a goodbye that may be a permanent one (at least on this earthly plane). But knowing L -- she's such a fiery tigress of a woman -- she'll beat the odds and be that 1% who makes it through chemo and comes out the other side, stronger, healthier, even more alive than before. Plus, any woman who can boisterously make fun of her wigs -- one's a baseball cap with a ponytail attached, one's a bleached-blond look with dark roots showing and everything -- certainly gets bonus points from the Universe for finding the dark humor through this dark and stormy time.

I hit a low point last week -- physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally -- and I had a conscious thought, a vivid diamond of experience: "Time to start caring for Nathan." So I'm starting. And crying. And purging. And getting stronger.

I've been really lucky lately to be able to stand back and view some of my friendships, and find such solace and warmth from their existences. Dawn, Julie, Jess, Meagan, Robin, Jerry, Charlie, Karla, and others have helped keep me going in ways they're not even fully aware of, which actually makes it all that much better. And few people can Walk & Talk like Carly, whom I swear is a Pixie Queen in a parallel dimension. Dawn's card/photograph -- its rabbit hole tendencies -- holds a special place on my writing desk for arriving in my mailbox at the exact perfect moment.

Lately God and I have been having double mochas in the Coffee Shop in the Sky. I finally offered to buy, and she said, "About damned time! And don't skimp on the barista's tip, either!"

I'm quite excited about Tori's new album. If you go to www.undented.com, my fave fansite of hers, you should check out the March 20th Billboard clip, where she talks about Abnormally Attracted to Sin. She has fascinating things to say about this unique time in our world, and about mothers' need to nurture, even when the emotional -- and financial -- wells are draining, nearing emptiness. It's a brief, powerful clip.

Hope all is well in your world.

XOXO,
Gossip Boy

p.s. Boy/Girl (aka Ollie and Luna, my pups) provide me more joy and enlightenment and humor and unconditional love than I think I can ever express in words.