Wed Feb 7: The Treasure of Friendship - The punchline first: I'm doing great today, thanks to everyone who was a little worried about yesterday's post. See what happens when I write every day? *giggle*

Yesterday I was stressed about some things, and so I called Jeff and Adrienne and came over for dinner time just to hang out and think about nothing. We watched "March of the Penguins" and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Later, one of the major stressors was sorting out a failed communication issue with one of my closest friends in the world. He had slept all day, and so when I sent a text message for "did you want to talk?" he was in a good mood and asked me to meet him at Denny's. It was midnight, but it was either breakfast or lunch for him, really. So over coffee and chicken for me, and a full meal for him, we sorted out the whole problem, and all is forgiven and good between us.

The funny parallel is that a friend of ours once had this conversation. Friend: "Gauge, what are you doing?" Gauge: "Nothing." Friend: "What are you doing Nothing With?" Gauge: "A Hammer."

Several of us quote this all the time in a very sing-song manner. In a very distressing way, I felt like maybe I'd swung a hammer and broken a vase of precious trust in our friendship. He agreed that I'd made a mistake, but that things were not as broken as I was worried they were. He said, "No, we just need to clean up the spilled water and flowers. The vase is okay, but no swinging hammers in the house."

I'm immensely grateful for this perspective, and lesson learned. The trust wasn't broken between a third friend and me, and the trust wasn't ruined between him and me. Things happen, and the friendships will get better and weather the storms.

So, in explanation -- I was more "distressed" than "depressed" yesterday, and when you combine that lack of sleep with that level of distress, it's easy to see how I lost my nerve and got even more frustrated and upset about other things in my life.

On the drive home from coffee (at 4 am, yoikes!), I found myself singing the Pippin songs over again, and finding the Hope in them again. I don't stay depressed for very long, and I bounce back remarkably easily.

Over dinner, Adrienne commented that "my sparkle was missing." Over coffee, my dear friend mimed scooping up a handful of fairy dust and glitter, and blowing it across the table on me. I was laughing already by then, and had to laugh even harder that yes, he found my sparkle and had helped me get it back.

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So, quick mundane administratia: I spent my lunch hour on campus at the Cal State next door, and got lots of interest in the SCA. I'll be out there again tomorrow. It's a whole "welcome week" in the quad with all the student groups, and some students were *really* thrilled to find us there.

Tonight is fighter practice in the Barony, lots more last-minute sewing, and dinner with Jeff and Adrienne before practice. Eventually, I'll even get sleep. But for now, I'm smiling (and drinking coffee).

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Today's Blessing That I'm Thankful For: My sparkle-givers. You know who you are. You are my greatest treasures, and I'm in awe of G-d for putting you in my life. Thank you for being here, and thank you for being so amazing.