Is it possible to get just one more day of this past weekend to stretch into today so that I can sleep a little later and recover from a couple of busy days spent with some of my dearest friends and family? It’s not that I don’t want to go to work and get things done (or maybe it is just a little bit!) but I am wiped out in all good ways and would love an actual day of rest and a little laziness!
On Saturday, my friends and I gathered in Acton, Massachusetts to commemorate a belated 40th birthday celebration for one of my best friends, Sean, since his actual birthday fell during a weekday last week. I’ve shared so many stories and memories of/with Sean here on ‘Coffee & Chiffon‘ over the years, but this milestone felt particularly poignant to commemorate.
Sean and I met when we were both ten years old and his family moved in next door to mine in the sleepy small town where we grew up, attended school and even worked some part-time jobs together before eventually moving away in our adulthoods (although we’ve clearly stayed in touch and hang out often.) Shortly after meeting at the bus stop as kids, we realized we had pretty much everything in common – specifically our love of horror movies, video games, our dark humor and our January birthdays – and we’ve become inseparable ever since, gradually incorporating more and more of our current longtime friends into our lives and activities over the years.
In high school, Sean came out as an openly proud gay man – a feat that was not easy by any means, especially in a small town in the early 2000s – and he’s shown that same fearlessness and unapologetic self-assurance in pretty much all facets of his life for as long as I’ve known him since then; taking childhood bullies, career and apartment changes, relationships and extensive travel to unfamiliar destinations head-on.
And in this new chapter of his life, I’m excited to see what he does with a plot of land he recently purchased in Vermont with the intention of building his next home. The land as it is rests not too far from where I’m currently living, which means I may be one of the first people to see his cabin visions come to fruition when he starts construction this Spring.
I digress, we spent Saturday afternoon eating pizza, playing video games, laughing and joking, and watching as a rain storm passed through the area. Considering nearly all of Sean’s birthdays/birthday parties have been snowed out over the years – the rain was a welcomed change of tradition. We were all able to drive home safely afterwards!
Side Note: Sean did take a tumble during his party, resulting in quite a bump on his shin. Luckily, with some frozen vegetables and ace bandaging, he was as good as new – although none of us missed the opportunity to remind him that now that he’s forty, he should probably be a little more careful with his bones and joints!
Yesterday, it was off to my cousins’ house for the afternoon for our belated-Christmas gift exchange, lots of catching up, some snacks and plenty of wine. It’s always so good to see them and I had an absolute blast. They also gave me some of the most thoughtful and unique gifts – like a dinner preparation set-up (including a DIY cheese kit!) for when Troy and I have our next quiet-date-night-in at home! I can’t wait to try it out!
And now that it’s Monday once again, it’s back to work and also back to preparing for my own birthday weekend in just a couple of short weeks. I’m excited to recap that adventure when it happens!
See you all on Wednesday – but have a great start to your week until then!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 