You Put Up the Chairs
I hope you live a life you’re proud
of. If you find that you are not, I
hope you have the strength to start
all over again.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
I was at a pool party with some of my oldest, most-favorite
friends. I’ve known them since high school, so at this point
they feel more like sisters. Anyone who knew you as an
adolescent and still wants to spend time with you is a true
friend, and really, their opportunity to blackmail you with
stories of who you kissed and photos of you in overalls is
enough reason to keep them around. We don’t see each
other nearly often enough, but when we do, we fall right
back into familiar rhythm, like a song we’ve been singing
all our lives.
While we watched our kids jump off the diving board
and dive for rings, while Jenny’s husband grilled chicken
and we drank lemonade icy from the cooler, we had the