Sista-Cuzzy-Friend

March 11, 2015

Having friends you like who are like you is a form of narcissism.

– Laurence J. Peters

                I believe you can have as many best friends as you want. I call mine my crew, there are exactly 9 of us, and we have been a tight-knit group since high school and/or college. But only a few people have the luxury of being my  sista-cuzzy-friend. That honorary title is given to my blood-cousin, soul-sista, and friend till the absolute end, Bethie.  Bethie has been in my life since I was four years old. We would have started our friendship sooner but she wasn’t born yet. We have the ability to finish each other’s sandwiches, jokes and sentences (and we say some off the wall stuff). We also have the ability read each other’s thoughts as well. We have been through a lot together. This includes: Family parties, vacations, being in a hold up at McDonalds and refusing to leave without our jackets and McNuggets, faking her death to play a joke on our parents (a completely unfunny joke now that I look back at it which took several years to earn her parents’ trust back from), and losing a parent to the  stupid cancer monster. Even up to a year ago, she was the sole beneficiary to my mass fortune from being an educator in the event of something terrible happened to me.  I also introduced Bethie to some amazing music, people and unfortunately every bad habit that she does or has done in her life. I’m not proud of that but I am proud to be the one who introduced her to her wonderful husband, Steve.

Bethie has always been a jack of all trades, master of none type of person which made her a blast at parties! She can sing, play music, create art, and write well.  But recently, she has found her calling as a chef. She’s an amazing one as well so I guess she’s beginning master the art of cuisine.

 Her husband got the opportunity to work a few months in Silicon Valley, California with his startup company and Bethie tagged along with him as his supportive wife.  He did the same for her while she took culinary classes in Italy, so why not return the good favor, right? She was just looking for a job to keep her busy.  I wish she just ate brownies all day, watching Maury to find out who the father was, dreaming of coming back to Chicago but instead she found the job of her dreams. She is working for a farm to table type of catering business and she fell in love! After talking to her, I can already read her mind. She LOVES California!  I can tell she’s considering a permanent residence in Northern California although she won’t actually tell me yet. It’s the double-edge sword when being able to read the mind of your sista-cuzzy- friend.

This is a bittersweet feeling I am experiencing! I, of course, want the best for my sista-cuzzy-friend but I want her to have the best here in Chicago!  I know I’m being selfish! She loves the organic, healthy and relaxing nature offered in sunny California. I know Chicago is not known for the incredibly health-conscience food options it offers. We are the home of the deep dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches for goodness sake. I’m fairly certain the Chicago weather is also not helping with any convincing as well.  What I fear the most about any possible moves is the fact that I will only see my compadre a handful of times a year. That’s just not enough.  She’s more important than pretty much every person I interact with on a daily basis and she is the one I make fun of most of those people to. Having said that, I know she needs this. She’s young and  is a very free spirit! The opportunities she and her husband are being presented with are absolutely astonishing and not going to be there forever. Not many people can pick up and go like my dear Bethie. Bethie, like the little birdie she is, is not meant to be caged.