Get Shorty
When I was knee high (literally), growing up I was utterly terrified of being short. After carefully reviewing my ancestry and numerous other Chinese families on our seemingly traditional dim sum Sunday afternoon lunches, I figured out early that I better drink a lot of milk and eat a crap load of grade A Canadian beef. I’m surprised I never got Mad Cow with my belly so full of Betsy (why are they always named Betsy?). I even went to the extent of hangin’ upside down from the monkey bars by my feet trying to stretch every bone, muscle and flesh on my body… This was in grade 4.
It’s funny how we go through life with subtle self-conscious mind-games about who we are vs. who we want to be. I’ve had the same self-awareness with friends. In every stage of life, I’ve tried to understand people, listened to them, try to make sense with them; all the while, I think my ulterior motive was to one day confide in them myself as a friend. Maybe I have fears of growing old and watching TV alone with no place to go or being “that guy” that hangs out in the corner of the bar that everyone says hi to but no one can remember my name. I think sometimes we all feel like this… alone with no one to talk to.
Last Friday, however, at JLM and my B-day party, I was cured of all my self-conscious nuances about not having enough friends in my life. With such heartening peeps throughout the night, I felt friendship and love that I believe only couples feel on their wedding night. I’ve enjoyed the night away with friends before but not with soooo many different friends that have contributed to my walk/run in life in one place. Rich in friends beats rich with money any day of the week.
Each one of us goes through levels of hardships no one thinks anyone could understand but having love from others can make any hardship a small puddle.
So thank God for not being short… both in height and in friends.
You guys are beautiful!
