This a a very, very belated birthday wish for my BFF Jamie. She actually turned 31 last Monday, but I haven't managed to post this until today. Happy Birthday, my dear friend. I can't believe it has been 8 years since we met.
In honor of her birthday and our lengthy friendship, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Jamie memories. We met back in 2003, when we were hired to share a first grade classroom. I'll never forget our first meeting. I walked into my new principal's office to meet the teacher who would be my other half. I was terribly nervous, and as we encountered one another for the first time I made some quick observations.
#1 This chick was thinner than me. Not cool.
#2 This chick was younger than me. Again, not cool. I was accustomed to being the young thing around school, and she bested me by 5 months.
The first impression was not looking good, since as a 23 year old, I wasn't the most mature and now can neither confirm nor deny that I was comparing myself to Jamie in every way.
As we talked and got to know one another over the next few months, I came to discover that Jamie was the perfect friend for me. She was kind, smart, and ever so fun to be around. Her husband was equally wonderful. We tooled around in our matching VW Passats, shared childhood tales of both being the middle child with an older sister and younger brother, and took turns buying our Starbucks chai tea lattes. Our wonderful friendship was so helpful professionally too. We complemented one another as teachers. For example, Jamie created bulletin boards, and I admired her work. I lost our students' permission slips to the zoo two years in a row, and Jamie figured out a way to tactfully ask parents to resign them without compromising my dignity. We were a grand team!
Over the past 8 years I have always thought of Jamie as somewhat flawless, since there isn't one thing about her that I don't love. Then I remember that every rose has its thorns, and Jamie is no exception. I will share one thing that may diminish your opinion of Jamie, as it always reminds me that no one is perfect.
Picture it, January 2004.
It was a cold day, folks. I believe snow was on the ground. Jamie looked darling for work that day, in a sweater, plaid wool pants and black flats. I walked into our classroom as she was bent over, putting some math books away in a lower cabinet. Peaking over the top of her like size 4 pants was a recognizable pantyhose seam. What? My head whirled. I spoke slowly. "Jamie, are you wearing pantyhose under those pants?" I stifled my gag reflex. "Yes, Bets, I am. I get cold and they keep me warm." I nearly died of a combination of disgust and laughter. She wasn't perfect. A) She wore pantyhose. B) She wore them under a pair of pants. Mind you, she was 24 at the time, not 82. I have never forgotten the tale of the dreaded pantyhose. Happy birthday, pal. I must close with a picture that captures Jamie perfectly! I love the laugh!
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