happy birthday miriam!

today, we honor the birthday of my very dearest friend. through thick and thin, times of wealth and poverty, sickness and sanity. i can't believe that its been 8 years since we met, even though we weren't really friends at first. miriam lived above me in our humble dorm at g.dubb. it wasn't until the following year that we really became friends. back then, a six pack of beer could get us both shitty all weekend. the gym was ours to conquer every morning at 6:00 and rio and nate rounded out or inseparable foursome.

our junior year of college we bonded over psychosis. sometimes ours, incessant spying on the hot football players that lived downstairs. sometimes the illness belonged others like a narcissistic roommate or a hotheaded ex-boyfriend of mine. miriam was even attacked by a crazy goose, and suffered the loss of her favorite flip-flops.

just before our senior year of college we both turned 21. we learned a valuable lesson. a fifth of vodka didn't cost $20. she forgave me for barging in on what was almost a kiss from the man of her dreams. the year our closets were full of sequined halter tops and tight black pants, was the same year her feminist tirades really began to emerge.

i've hardly ever cried so hard as the day after we graduated and drove away from the place that brought us together, wondering if we'd make good on the promises to visit and call often. it was only a few months until my begging convinced miriam to come live in charlotte with us (luke, luke, and i). four people in that apartment was way too many, but boy, rent was cheap and living was good. that year, the girl who had been home-schooled nearly her entire life, took a job teaching public high school. we laughed and cried and she gave indignant speeches solving all the worlds problems while we stayed up until after 2 am making christmas candy bags for her 140 students.

the next 2 years miriam and i lived together, just the two of us. the true test of friendship. neither one of us having the ovaries to be particularly confrontational, we solved our problems the way all strong women do, we sent a few emails and pretended it never happened. and granted, mims isn't the cleanest person i've ever known, but i've seen her spare a bugs life and set it outside to freedom, carry a lost box turtle from the middle of the road down to the creek and even rescue flies from drowning in the swimming pool. she bravely took on a roach after i locked them in the bathroom together. she solves all of the worlds problems like republicanism, war, poverty, hunger and men over a cup of fat free, sugar free hot chocolate. i love that she makes cd playlists with showtunes, metallica and tupac. i'm afraid i'm often a disappointment to her when she's looking for a good argument. while we don't always agree, i've never known anyone with more conviction for what she does believe. she's too humble to admit it, but she's touched hundreds, probably thousands of lives. her brilliant mind should be advising the world's top leaders, but she's dedicated years as a public servant, teaching public high school and spent two summers volunteering her time to provide free legal help to society's downtrodden.

i consider her special brand of philosophy--compassionate feminism with cleavage. i have no doubt that one day she'll ban meat from the white house while wearing a low cut pink t-shirt and flip-flops. and i'll still be so proud to call her my friend.

happy 22nd birthday pookie.

(pictures to follow, blogger isnt cooperating right now)