Geekstress Wonders

  I lost my best friend on March 30 th , this past Tuesday. She was fourteen years old and literally saved my life on more than one occasion. Her friendship was invaluable. Her soul changed my life forever. I love her so much and already miss her.  Today, I created art that represented who she was. Wise, non-harming, intelligent, loving, devoted, and so much more.  Thank you, Lilly, for being an amazing friend and honoring me with your love and kindness. 

  Photo by Peter Conlan. Friends are a strange lot. The definition of friend changes over the course of our lives. It means different things to different people. We have different expectations for different friends. When I was a child, a friend was someone I got along with and played with. Best friend was someone I did this with frequently and who I could also trust. Sometimes they broke my trust, but I’m sure I did the same. Friendships evolved as the teen years arrived. I continued to have friends of both genders, but things became complicated by hormones. Inevitably, one side would develop a crush on the other. Ray, my best friend, and I thought we might be perfect as a couple since we were fantastic as best friends. We attempted a kiss while alone in his truck one Saturday night. Almost as soon as the kiss started it ended with both of us backing away immediately. We just gaped at one another. Slight disgust was apparent on both faces. We agreed it felt too familiar and to neve

My dog is old. I hold my breath for the day she goes downhill. My best friend, Lilly, is comparable to an 80-year-old woman. Her hearing has worsened this past year. She no longer hears when I arrive home, nor when I rattle her leash to signal it's time for a walk. Her mobility is possible because of medications and a special diet. She will notice I have moved to another room and follow me. I thought this meant she didn't feel well. She didn't use to stick close by my side. I took her to the vet. Discovered following mamma is a good sign! Instead, I need to worry when she hides. She now makes weird noises, not only snoring. Vet assured me this was part of the cognitive changes with age. I try not to be a helicopter mom but know my beloved canine rarely complains, even when she is in pain. This knowledge keeps me vigilant to any changes with her. My heart will break when she passes. I've lost other dogs because of aging and sickness, and it hurts. Yet, Lilly is the

I feel like one of the hardest things in my life is to find female friends who lift me up. My family history may have made me jaded. Still, I doubt my struggle is unique. I appreciate honesty and directness saturated with sincerity, genuine kindness, and integrity. Male friends are not perfect, but they are much easier to connect with. I do not find as many enjoy the mind games that women enjoy. Not for friendships. I run a local craft (knitting and crochet) group in my area. Technically, we have about 85 members. Realistically, about only 20 show up for gatherings and usually the groups are no bigger than 8 at a time, depending on their schedules. It all works out. We chat mostly on Facebook and many enjoy the connections on Facebook enough without connecting in person. Jackie is a fellow knitter in our local yarn knit/crochet group. She and I immediately clicked. Same sense of humor, but more than that. Sounds cheesy to say same wavelength but I have no other words. We “