git yur butt back in here, Della, now!

Dear Della,

In this blog, I normally write about YOUR fun and follies and leave subjects out that relate only to me. However, this subject matter has been the impetuous to this blog from the beginning so it is only fitting to air my feelings on this venue.

The other night, your Dada and I were trying to get you back into the kitchen to help clean up the mess you made and the phrase, "git yur butt back in here, Della, now!" slipped out of Dada's mouth. I thought it appropriate to use that as the subject line for what is to be a post about my dear friend, Jen, who will no longer be working with me at LAIKA.

You see, what I write in here and how it is written is as much for you in the future as it is for the amusement of Jen because I know she reads it. I love making her laugh as much as she enjoys laughing at what I say! She and I have used that phrase (taken from the movie Thelma and Louise) a lot over the years, and I know she would find it entertaining to know I was using it on your little heiney!

Jen and I have worked together at LAIKA for the past 2.5 years and worked together before that at a CPA firm for 2 years. Since she has been at LAIKA, she has seen me through a lot, and I can only hope I have been there for her.

We began working together while I was pregnant with you. She was as excited for you to be born as I was. She listened to me everyday when I talked about how swollen my ankles were getting or bitched about how much I hated those women who were so taken with the whole pregnancy/mother thing. She knows how much "tender" things bother me. She also took walks with me uphills in order to prepare for your birth and came to the hospital the day after you were born to hold you.

I visited her when she was in the hospital and made her do laps around the floor. As a thank you, she donated money to the Good Sam Baby Foundation in "Baby Baldwin's" name as you had yet to have a name at that time.

Jen has watched you several times at the Studio when I have come in to go to a meeting. Usually you cried which Jen managed but secretly like to frowny face you wore, and she carried you for blocks in the baby bjorn until her back hurt.

Jen is the most compassionate and passionate friend I have. She is also very generous with her thoughtful words and praises. Over the past several years, she started making artwork using images and cut words/phrases from all sorts of media, magazines, books, old pictures. It began as homemade envelops from magazine pages but blossomed into cards, pictures and even poster boards. I have been graced by being the recipient of many of these wonderful creations. The one above is very typical of the many cards I received. She always makes me smile in what she wrote and I especially like the large collage she gave me that describes me as robust.

About 5 or 6 years ago, I began to receive emails from her that always ended like this:

I remain,

~listening to Will Smith

~enjoying a vanilla latte

~happy I just got my haircut

Of course, they were always different and gave insight into what was happening with her right at that moment. I responded in kind and always thought she just did it for my benefit. When she started working at the Studio, I discovered she did on every email. She began to collect all the remainings she received back from our coworkers and even outside clients. Everyone benefited from this small gesture of taking time to think about how and what you are doing at the very moment of the email. Staying present is something she constantly strives for and therefore brings that out in others. She had an art show at the Studio that contained a poster full of our coworkers remainings. They were very fun to try to figure who said what. I had several in there myself. On her last day, she gave me a print out of my remainings she had saved and noted her favorites. What a gift to receive those back.

After you were born, Jen listened to me describe all that was going on with you. I would also tell her how much I wanted to write you a monthly letter that was well written and witty. I wrote a few of those but always felt overwhelmed by the task of it. She suggested that we start a blog and that way I could write brief items without overwhelming myself. Hence, the conception of Lil D!

I know in my heart that her leaving is the best thing for her. Accounting is not her passion (not that it is mine either) but she has another path to follow. I loved our lunches together and all the conversations we had about Della stories and our self explorations. Shortly after she told me she was leaving, I realized that our journey of being together every day was coming to a close for a reason. She was with me through my life change of becoming a mother and processing who I am now. I was with her during a life change for her. It is time for us to stand on our own.

Here are some phrases or words that are my friend, Jen and our memories:

ORIGINAL
Funky jewelry
Magazines
Chicken and Rabbit
Sparkles
Pink
Orange
Eating lunch together
Processing
Listening to all she learned about self acceptance and bettering your situation
Silently judging you
Chakras
Yoga
Blogs
Justa Pasta
Girl Scouts
Canadian bacon pizza and ho ho's
St. Paul
Staying present
Recognizing the world around you
Charmed lists
Ann Taylor Loft
Thin skin
Hunkering
Warm smiles
A shoulder to cry on
Curly hair

I could go on but these don't make any sense to others but Jen and me. I wish her luck and steadfastness on her new adventure. I thank her for touching so many people. Above all, I am happy to have her as my friend.

I remain,

~listening to Dixie Chicks
~a little teary
~hoping Jen is having fun with her sister in Iowa
~hoping Jen leaves me comments on this Blog!

Mama

PS-Insight into Jen at http://www.completejoy.blogspot.com/ and here http://farcycreations.typepad.com/