matt & ben

Last Thursday I stumbled upon a poster advertising the upcoming showing of a small play at a local school. This one weekend only special was being presented by Red Quill Productions and students at BelmontUniversity , brining to life a play written by Mindy Kaling  and Brenda Withers. Yes, Mindy Kaling, as in Kelly Kapoor from The Office and Mindy Lahiri from The Mindy Project. What some people may not know is that one of the first breaks Mindy had as a writer was when she and her bff Brenda wrote a two person one act play (which they starred in as well as directed) titled “Matt & Ben.” In her book, Is Everyone HangingOut Without Me?, Kaling describes “Matt & Ben” as “ weird but simple” with a tone “somewhere between the X-Files and The Odd Couple.”  The gist is the story of the Affleck and Damon friendship and how the epic success we know as “Good Will Hunting” might have come to fruition.

Since the opportunity kind of “fell from the ceiling,” I obviously had to attend.  Jenna Pryor (Ben Affleck) and Lauren Knoop (Matt Damon) gave an engaging and entertaining performance as a couple of Boston besties just trying to make the writing/acting thing work. While the setting might have been modest, just like Matt & Ben, Pryor and Knoop had a hit on their hands. What a treat it was for fate to bring me this play, just days after finishing reading Kaling’s book, and give me the chance to see it manifested in front of me. Word to the wise: keep your eyes peeled for unexpected opportunities to present themselves. You never know when something exceedingly good will land in your metaphorical living room floor.  

something borrowed, something {true} blue

In a previous post here, the Lunchbox Buddies celebrated those unique friendships which are "measured by how long into the future you can look back at the photos...and replay the adventures and the laughter in your head; still feeling like it was one of the "bestest" times of your life."

 

Well, I am blessed to have a true blue friend who twelve years later

(seriosuly...like, our friendship is totally entering middle school?!!)

I can literally

read through old notes passed (I think we single- handedly kept the campus mailman employed),

look at printed pictures taken (because disposable cameras were still a thing),

replay memories made (ummm, like the time our car broke down...and we waited for-ev-er for the tow truck in some serious Alabama heat...and then the kind mechanic shared that the only problem was that cars tend to need gas to run...)

and be humbled beyond belief for the laughter, tears and love. 

 

Above is a picture of Nat and I eight years ago at my wedding.  There we are, frozen in time, as bright-eyed 21-year-olds ready to take on the world.  I was getting hitched and moving to Boston; she was entering grad school and heading to Denver.  We had met four years earlier as Freshmen at Samford in Birmingham, AL.  So much transpired from that first meeting to this picture.  We were stretched as indivdiuals and as friends.  And so much as happened from this picture to now.

I had Nat by my side on my special day and I was grateful for the opportnity to be there by her side last weekend cheering her on at her own very special wedding ceremony.  When I confirmed my RSVP, Nat's one request was that I make a gift rather than buying one.  The pair of canvases above were crafted for the occasion.  His and Her bookends with corresponding zodiac constellations imprinted with the beautiful lyrics from Dire Straits Romeo and Juliet:
 

on the left, HIS (Virgo)

A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a streetlight steps out of the shade
Says something like you and me babe how about it?
 

on the right, HERS (TAURUS)

You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die

 

And since I didn't include a card in my gift, I hope this post suffices as a little glimpse into the depth of my gratitude for you, true-blue Nat.

take-out thursday

 The last few weeks have been banana-grams for Sarah and I. We have both been on trips, me to California and Say to Fall Creek Falls (post about that trip in weeks to come!) and have had very busy work schedules. And while we have passed each other in the hallway and exchanged the occasional text message, we haven't really had a chance to just sit down and catch up about not only what has been filling the hours of our days, but also the spaces in our hearts and minds.

So that is what the last two Thursday nights have been for us. Journeys of faith, challenging decisions, and exciting revelations have filled our moments together as we have let friendship simply happen in our midst and be manifested through our actions. The best things in life don't have to be forced. So whether it's an evening spent checking out a new coffee shop, walking around a college campus sharing sentimental memories, or chowing down on some take-out food, our hope is that the you and those closest to you take a step back from the hectic day to day and take notice of the exceedingly good things and people around you.

the ever sunny days

Cost of living and pretentious tabloid socialites aside, California is a favorite place of mine. Since my journey to Southern California three years ago, the blue skies and effortless breathing of The Golden State have crossed my mind on a daily basis. Thus the reason my heart leapt and my eyes welled with tears when I learned the same dear friend who originally introduced me to California would be the catalyst for our reunification. 

Our days were saturated with Napa Valley vineyards, orchards at Hurley Farms, Sausalito, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Muir Woods; each with their own charm and beauty. Sights I had only observed on the silver screen were alive and vibrant around me. 

The culmination of the trip was the beautiful union of Kaitlin and her groom, Dave. No setting other than wine country could have more perfectly matched the class and grace of this couple and their commitment to one another. As we gathered around the table to share communion, I was overwhelmed with the divine nature of these moments. We were witnessing and playing part in the message of Christ; the sacrifice of His life through the breaking of bread, and the union between Him and his bride, the Church. I believe it was evident to each witness that the love we observed and experienced in that place was perfectly ordained by Love himself.