We Do the Best We Can

Yesterday, I woke up miserable. I watched my fever climb through the morning hours, and then slowly move the other way as I did everything I could think of to bring it down. I had a wedding to go to!

Thankfully, I was able to get my fever down and drive to Richmond to be perfectly miserable at a wedding that I knew I would otherwise enjoy. Of all the weekends to get sick! As it turns out, it was a good thing that I did make it, because I was called up by the officiant to read a little passage for them.

About three months ago, the bride asked me to read something during her ceremony. At first, I said I wasn't interested (owing to the general not liking of weddings that I have), but I had thought more on it and changed my mind. I met her in 1988, after all, we were in the same fourth grade class. She is the one person of all the non-relatives I know whom I had known the longest. After I told her I really would like to be a (small) part of her ceremony, she said great and that's all I heard on it. Sitting there yesterday, I figured she probably changed her ceremony or something and had decided to not go with a reading after all.

No, not how it worked out! They called me up, so there my sick little self strode, without even so much as a second to read over the few sentences they wanted me to read (as the bride announced that I had no preparation for this), and off I read. As they were setting up the reception, a lot of people approached and said it was very nice, and very nice that I did it with no warning. True, I had three months warning, but that was all! Everyone also said I didn't sound sick (that's because I'm an actor and know how to manipulate my voice when it counts). All things being considered, I'm glad my part went as well as it did.

I admit that I often don't remember the exact moment when I meet people who are later important in my life. I could name three people where the particulars of such events are no longer in my memory right now. This means that my memory of first meeting this friend may be quite off from reality. What I do remember that I'm sure is accurate, is that we played together during recess. We played with Sylvanian Families, and talked about unicorns (one lived on the playground, you know). I learned that she lived actually very close to my home, which allowed us to see each other for other things (like movie days and parties) and I got to meet her sister. I actually have a picture of the three of us at my house. A few years after it was taken, I had thought I lost touch with her, and so circled her on the picture and drew a sad face :(.

After they moved, we kept in not-so-close contact by writing letters, and I remember going to one of her birthday parties, that was the first time I saw The Princess Bride. They moved again, and again, and even out of the country. Every now and then, I'd get a letter and reply. Sometime in high school, one of her letters mentioned what college she would be going to, and that was the last I had heard from her in a long time.

So, it was in college that I started missing her and her letters. I remembered where she said she would be going and looked her up in their student directory. That little trick wouldn't work now, I think, with all the protections on people's privacy, but it worked then, I found an e-mail address. I wrote a short "if you are who I think you are, write back" kind of message, at that was that. We then had e-mail, and exchanged addresses (well, I got a new one from her, mine hasn't changed any!), and now we're up to cell phones (as unreliable as mine is). Maybe I'm just not the kind of person who lets someone go if I can help it!

If nothing else, sick and all, I'm glad that I was at her wedding. I would have had a better time of it sans this nasty cold, but I'm still very glad that I didn't miss it. And her now-husband is a very great guy. I hope, just as I know, that they will have a great life together.

I was supposed to be at work at the Faire today, but my dad happened to mention that I wasn't feeling well and so the booth manager ordered me to stay home. I welcome the chance to actually rest and be better for tomorrow, because they can't spare me then. Off to sleep with me!