even though i know it's supposed to come from your future bai mah wang dze, who's to say a girl can't have two of these in her lifetime? i love how rings are only a little portion of the ridiculous things we talk about.
remember those mix CDs you used to burn for me? they're hands down on the tip top of my Favorite Things in Life. and it's not only because they were just flat out awesome but above all they were an extension of who you were at one point or another: what you liked, what moved you. and i love that even now, i can tell which song's coming after the other before it even begins. there are so many memories associated with each track -- Bohemian Like You, Let Go, Sleep on Needles, Blizzard of '77, The Build Up, What it Feels Like for a Girl, and so many more. I prize every one of them. The mix that started with "Dedicated to the Ones I Love" yields an especially emotion listen every time. My mom loved that CD too; she always made me replay Yesterday Once More so that she could sing along.
you really are.
happy birthday, jess! thanks for being a vital part of my life and sanity and so much of what makes me who i am. i think about it sometimes and i wonder what all would have been lost if it weren't for your presence, both bodily and in heart, and for your wisdom and wit and openness to discuss, to share, to probe and wonder. i love you! our friendship couldn't ever become trivial to me; i'll keep trying to bring you joy and comfort and everything else you need (and do not need). i love you, again, i love you!
here for you, 22 and onward.
-jenny
