Tag Archives: friendship

Dear Aunt Vessie, love Alice

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Dear Aunt Vessie,

thank you for sending me this new outfit in the mail! When your package got here, we were so surprised. Mom put it on me first thing this morning.

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After my mom buttoned the last button, my first mission was to investigate Mom’s camera bag.

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I had to verify that my mobility was unimpeded.

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No troubles there. The leggings are nice and stretchy. The short sleeves leave my arms nice and free, and my baby hands are quite unobstructed.

What to do next? Obviously, it was time to blow some raspberries.

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I’m pretty good at those, FYI.

I moved to the left, I moved to the right.

DSC_0161 Then I surprised my mom by pulling myself up on the side of the chair.

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Look Mom! I’m going to catapult myself off this chair! Won’t Aunt Vessie be impressed?

That mom . . . she was like “whaaaaa!?” Then I had to get down from the chair.

But that’s okay, because I had tons more to do in this outfit.

Like send a couple work emails for my mom on her laptop while I answered a call from her boss.

DSC_0223 DSC_0221 DSC_0219I’m pretty helpful like that.

“Ba,” I said. Then I added “mama,” and blew a raspberry for good effect.

I think the message came across loud and clear.

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It’s important to communicate clearly and concisely in the business world.

Then I typed a few of my mom’s personal emails. “Yes, we’d love to have a playdate a week from Friday,” I responded.

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Except it came out more like “xhihdislnfduisl,” so my mom had to retype it.

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Anyway, I can’t wait to see you, Aunt Vessie.

Well, I’m off to do my rounds in the bedroom: 1) Tug at laundry basket until it falls over; 2) Pull over small mesh trashcan especially if there’s plastic stuff inside; 3) Investigate doorstop; 4) Try to get under bed, and 5) Scoot into bathroom and try to make it to the toilet before my mom stops me.

By the way, did you know there’s a little plastic part on toilet bases that you can totally remove and put in your mouth? You should look at your toilet–you probably have one too.

Yeah, it’s shaping up to be a busy morning.

Love,

Alice

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All He takes away

There’s nothing for a couple like good couple friends. Friends who feel to drop by for dinner, call you up spontaneously, cry with you, work alongside you, text you when they’re in need of prayer. Eat your ravaged mustard mash that didn’t turn out quite right with nary a word of complaint.

Especially when they’re not only your couple friends, but your bandmates. Who have also been in your Bible study for 3 years. Oh, and are on the worship team at church with you. And when the female component of this couple is your best girlfriend.

In case you haven’t caught on yet, I’m talking about my friends Eric and Carrie.

Carrie was the one who kicked my butt into the world of blogging over two years ago. Carrie was the first person to call me after our break-in in January. She took me for my first pedicure. Carrie’s thrift shopping stamina is enough to satisfy even this hard-core thrift shopper. And Eric and Carrie forced us to go to a Regency Ball . . . twice!

Carrie invited me to sing back-up vocals for one of her gigs one fall long ago, which put the wheels in motion for the formation of our band, Thornfield.

Eric and Carrie were the first people I played one of my original songs for (with the exception of my husband, of course!), and the catalysts for my songs actually ending up not only being performed in front of actual people, but recorded on our CD. They have encouraged, challenged, pushed, comforted, and advised me.

I can’t say what Eric and Carrie have been to me in the past 3 years.

Now they are moving to North Carolina (a process started long ago), where Eric will be getting his Masters in Composition at UNCG. We had a goodbye brunch for them at our place a few weeks ago, and another goodbye brunch with our church family this past weekend. Yesterday evening we helped them pack up the truck.

And that’s it. Now–as in, this morning–they are going to get into their vehicles with all their stuff (as well as our furry and cruel band manager) and actually drive away. In fact, at this time of the morning they are probably already outside the city limits of Chicago, heading South and zooming off into this new phase of their lives.

And the only reason I’m not burying my head in the sand in despair is because I know God has a plan . . . that his plan is GOOD . . . and that he will meet all of our needs.

We will try to keep both our friendship and Thornfield going from a distance, share our lives and songwriting, engage in road trips for the occasional gig, and hopefully record another album down the road. But the reality is–it’s not going to be the same. I know I have a lot of tears ahead of me, and there’s nothing to be done except cry them, and walk through the pain of my loss.

I take so much comfort in the words of the hymn “Be still my soul” that say:

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side,
Bear patiently the cross of grief and pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide,
In every change He, faithful, will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend,
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

And especially close to my heart is this verse:

Be still my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know his love, his heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From his own fullness all he takes away.

I love you guys, Carrie and Eric.

Drive safely, sweet friends, and I pray that after a few years, somehow, we will end up in the same city so that we can share our lives again in this way that has been so, so precious to me.