Opinion of the day

tact

a keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense

* * * * * * * * *

On Friday, as B and I were headed out to run some errands and pick up some dinner, he mentioned that he had run into a former friend of his.  This former friend just so happens to be the boyfriend of a friend of mine.  They never had a falling out, but they grew apart, based on the fact that they seemed to have less and less in common as time wore on.

“What did he have to say?” I asked.

“Well, actually, he had more questions than anything,” B explained.

Among those questions he asked, he had the BALLS to include the following:

“How much did you spend on [CP]’s ring?”

“How long did you have to save for it?”

“Did you finance any of it?”

As B explained this story to me, I could feel the bile rising in my throat.  Not only is it completely RUDE to ask such questions of a FRIEND, it’s even more tactless to ask them of a former friend of yours who you barely speak to.  Most of my friends (all but one) have not asked such questions, because obviously they have class.  The one friend who did ask me something in line with this actually had the nerve to ask me what size my center diamond is.  She’s also the friend who dates the tactless guy referenced above.  I graciously shared the information with her, but felt a little unnerved by it.  I would never ask anyone, not even my closest friends, this kind of information.  I feel it shows a general lack of manners. 

I was so put off by the whole thing that I could not get my mind off of it for the rest of my Friday evening.  And I’ll be damned if someone ruins the best day of the week for me and gets away with it!  Grrrrrrrr.

Update

Thank you to everyone who responded to my last post.  Whether you sent along some advice, your opinions, or just said you were sorry to hear about the situation, it meant a lot to me.  It’s a tough predicament to be placed in, and I’m not enjoying it.  That is for sure.  But having people read and sympathize and offer up advice certainly helps.

Recently, the post was featured on the website The Issue under the Musings section.  Imagine my surprise at having it featured there.  It led to a couple of comments from people I’d never “seen” before.  It kind of made my day to see that this morning.

 It’s Friday, yesssssssss Thank God!  It’s raining and dreary outside, but my outlook is bright.  My weekend is going to be amazing, thanks to the fact that B decided he’s not up for a three hour drive to see his family tomorrow.  I urged him to go, of course, because it’s the right thing to do, even though I really don’t want to go.  When I asked him why he’d decided to stay home, he explained “It’s a three hour drive there.  Then a three hour drive back.  And we’d only be able to stay for a couple of hours.  That, and the fact that I don’t even want to see [his sister-in-law], myself.”

No sentence has ever sounded so wonderful!

As for the situation with my own sister, well…  Ugh.  That’s all I can muster.  One commenter, who, while I appreciate her advice and feelings on the subject, suggested that I don’t understand the situation and I shouldn’t shut her out.  I know she’s right.  But it’s tough.  Yesterday was her husband’s birthday.  I sent him a birthday card, but I didn’t call.  I can’t even bring myself to get in a situation where I know he’s being lied to and manipulated, and have to talk to him and basically lie through my teeth.  My sister is being a selfish, spoiled brat about it and I don’t like it.

In response to comments on the last post:

No, of course I don’t understand what it’s like to be my sister in this situation.  No, this is not about my own fears that any relationship could fail.  It goes farther than that — it’s a moral issue, in my eyes.  And it’s one that I won’t budge on.

While I whole-heartedly disagree with how my sister is handling things, I cannot be the one to tell my brother-in-law or my niece.  It’s her job to do it.  She got herself into this mess.  Now she needs to be the one to get herself out of it.  However, I won’t lie to them to their faces.  If they ask me about it, I will direct them to her.  I’m staying out of this one.

Yes, I have tried to talk to her about it.  It wasn’t hard for her to see that I disagree with her choices.  When she asked me if I was angry with her about it, I said “No, I’m not angry.  I’m disappointed.  I don’t approve of how you’re handling it, and I won’t condone it.”

I realize I’m not being the best sister I can be.  Obviously, the right thing to do would be to be there for her, listen to her, keep her grounded, etc.  However, it’s all she talks about.  Since the whole thing came to light, in January, we haven’t talked about anything else.  It’s draining me of all my self-control.  So for now, before I explode and tell EVERYONE about it and completely lose my sense of control with her, I need to take a mental break from her, from the situation.

No one has to agree with my decision but me.  Hey, how’s that for irony?  No one needs to agree with her decision but HER.  I realize this, obviously.  But it still doesn’t make it right. And you know what?  I don’t need to approve.  I get that.  But I also won’t hold her hand as she turns her back on her marriage vows and begins not just an emotional affair, but a physical one, while telling her it’s okay and I’m there for her.

I just can’t do it.  Weak, arrogant, self-righteous?  Maybe.  But I have morals and beliefs.  And I won’t compromise that for anyone.

Point fucking blank

WTF Wednesday has proven to be a success for Chasing Paradise.  I love to read what’s pissing other people off!  Thanks for the comments, girls

But on to today…

This post by Damsel really woke me the hell up this morning!  You should check it out then come right back here.  No, really, go…

Hi, welcome back!  How was that for waking you up and quite possibly making you want to have sex really badly, right this very second?  Yeah, me too.  In fact, I’ve already emailed B and told him to come home with plenty of energy and lots of dirty fantasies ready and waiting.  I can only imagine him, stopping in at his office later to check his email…see my message, and up pops a hard one.  TMI?  Whoops, sorry! 

But all in all, this post isn’t really about sex.  No, but rather, it’s about the power to just be yourself, to let loose, without worrying about what everyone is saying or thinking about you.  It’s not actually up for argument that the world would be a better, less hateful place if everyone was just free and non-judgmental.  Imagine what people could accomplish together if they didn’t sneer or poke fun at others.  If you didn’t feel the urge to insult that girl because clearly she is wearing Louboutins from last season, pared with last year’s Marc Jacob’s bag.  Our society has become so obsessed with everything new, improved, and never-before-seen.  Who are we competing against in this race to be trendy and “it”?  Only ourselves.  No one else matters.

I’ve never been the girl to want the flashy, luxury car.  Sure, it would be nice, I’m sure, to have something like a 10 disc changer and heated seats and automatic rain-sensing wiper blades.  But you know what?  That’s just not me.  It’s discouraging to see friends of mine trying to compete with each other, each trying to prove that the other is more successful, more happy, because she has a BMW or a Mercedes or hell, even a Range Rover.  Meanwhile I sit by and laugh at them and their $600 car payment.  Shit, for that much money a month, I could do a lot more shit than drop pennies into something that loses a shit ton of its value the second you drive it off the lot.  What is the fucking point?

We can’t even be happy for each other anymore.  Something great happens and suddenly you’re jealous and you don’t even understand why.  This person is your friend (or your family) and why the hell are you so upset?  It’s all a race and when you’re not the one buying the new car or the new house or the latest Chanel sunglasses, you feel cheated out of life.  Out of success.  Out of winning.

It’s an endless fucking cycle and I need it to stop.

Who am I?  I’m about to put it all out there for you, honest and downright real.  I’m still 15 pounds heavier than I should be, but I think I’m pretty.  It’s not all in the matchy-matchy or symmetry of my features.  It’s the sparkling green eyes, the perfectly straight teeth, the shade of hair that is not yet brown, but not blonde either.  I don’t always wear the newest clothes that I adore staring at in fashion magazines, but I have an eye for unique combinations.  I love to wear heels for the way they make my short legs appear longer, but sometimes I just can’t bear to wear them one more time this week.  I adore expensive handbags.  Why?  A lot of it has to do with the quality and clean lines they feature, but some of it is the fact that not a lot of other people are carrying MY BAG.  I like to be unique.  Sometimes a friend will ask me where I got a shirt or a pair of shoes and I lie –because I don’t want them to copy me.  If it makes me a bitch, then oh well.  I’d drop everything and help my friends out in the middle of the night, but it better be for a good fucking reason.  It better not be because she’s mad at her boyfriend for not bringing her flowers on Valentine’s Day.  Sometimes I just feel like screaming “is this really the most important problem going on in your world right now?!”  I judge others based on how they spell and speak.  If you sound like you ignored the most basic fundamentals of your grade-school education, I will roll my eyes and probably correct you.  But it’s only because I can’t stand to hear an otherwise smart person sound stupid for lack of trying.  My biggest pet peeve is people who complain about things, yet do nothing to change their situation.  I’ll just ignore you.  The truth of the matter is, I judge myself more harshly than I judge anyone else, more harshly than any of you could ever judge me.  So don’t bother trying.

I’m really impatient to a point where it annoys even myself.  I sometimes get too angry over situations that really don’t matter.  Sometimes I go home and turn my cell phone off because if I get one more text message, one more phone call, I might explode.  I willingly ignore people’s phone calls if I feel as though talking to them will take too much out of me.  But then I’ll feel bad and make it a point to call them back later when I’ve got more energy to devote to it. 

I love to have sex in public places if I can get away with it.  (Okay, so it’s a little about sex, haha) The thrill of possibly getting caught is quite the rush.  I’m not into anything sinister or freaky, but I didn’t judge a girlfriend when she once told me she enjoys being suffocated slightly during sex.  (It’s not my place to.)  I am at my best when it’s unexpected.  I always wish, during a fight, that B would pass me in the hallway or in our house somewhere, grab me, and throw me against the wall and just go at it.  Sex when you’re angry can be some of the most gratifying sex there is.  Why?  Because you’re so pissed off at the other person that you don’t CARE about getting them off…it’s all about you.  In the end, you both end up enjoying it, and all is forgiven in the glow of post-coital bliss.  I’ve already commented on Damsel’s post how girls who act all uptight and snobbish about sex and its admittedly carnal environment tick me off.  Like I said, I’d rather you tell me how great YOUR orgasm was than to look at me as though I’m a stupid, crazy slut when I mention how B made me come so hard I fell off the bed once.  Judgy Wudgy was a bear…

I have spent so much time worrying if something I said or something I did offended someone or pissed someone off.  Screw it.  What’s the point?  There is a fine line between being gentle with someone you care for (obviously) and holding back for fear of alienating yourself from them through the truth. 

I feel better already.

20SB Debate # 2: New Year’s Resolutions

 Ahhh…thank God for something to post about.  I went to the dentist this morning to have a cavity filled and an old filling replaced.  Needless to say, one whole side of my face is still mostly numb and I actually caught myself DROOLING at my desk.  Gross.  So yeah, the whole idea of having to come up with something to blog about was too much.  Thank God for 20SB debates! 

This fortnight’s debate is: 

It’s time for new years resolutions. What is one thing about yourself that you are definitely NOT changing?

I never really believed in New Year’s Resolutions.  I’ve resolved to lose weight, be less angry, even use profanity less.  They all failed.  I was good at it for the first two months or so, but eventually I wore out and gave up.  According to Dr. Phil, the problem is that I’m not following the right path for resolutions.  New Year’s Resolutions should be specific, measurable goals that you will be held accountable for.  I never dared to set a specific amount of weight I wanted to lose for fear that I’d never hit the 10 or 15 pound mark and then I would feel like a total failure.  How exactly do you measure how angry you are or how often you become angry?  And finally, the only person who held me accountable for my profanity use was myself, and occasionally the random stranger who would scoff in my general direction when they overheard me swearing like a sailor.

So really, what’s the point? 

B asked me yesterday what my New Year’s Resolution was, and upon hearing me laugh and say “Ha, nothing!” he just looked bewildered.  He had a multitude of resolutions:  eat more salads (good idea), less fast food (GREAT idea), work out 5 times a week (okay, really, stop showing off!), wake up earlier and go to bed earlier (who is he kidding?).  I stood in the kitchen, shoulders slumped as always, and responded tentatively with “I don’t know, slouch less?”

He just laughed at me and responded, “Babe, you’re hopeless.”

Yeah, so maybe I am hopeless.  Really, my opinion of New Year’s Resolutions amounts to this:  Who ever really succeeds?  I mean, who else besides the random person who goes on Dr. Phil with the goal to lose 210 pounds (did anyone see that recent episode?  was it yesterday?) ever really succeeds?  And then, it’s only because Dr. Phil is gonna “give it to her straight” and even tape her picture up at the local McDonald’s with a note to NOT SELL HER ANY FAST FOOD.  So really, don’t even get me started.  We’re all set up to fail.  So this debate is something I can do.

There are plenty of things I’d like to change.  I hate my nose.  HATE.  I’ve wanted a nose job since I was 13.  The only thing that holds me back is the amount of money it will cost me (definitely don’t have that!) and the pain I will face (seriously, I’m the biggest wimp EVER).  I have zero patience for people who are late.  I have zero patience for people who don’t tell the truth.  Those things, I’m afraid, aren’t going to change.  I wish I was either shorter or taller, but not this awkward middle height.  Sadly, I was born of “average” height with an ugly nose and zero patience.

Wow, maybe I should resolve to be nicer to myself, no?

The truth is, I have a bit of an attitude problem.  It’s not necessarily a bad thing.  When I say attitude, I don’t mean shitty for no reason or snobbish.  No, it’s more like, if I’ve got something to say, I’m going to say it.  Granted, I still take people’s feelings into consideration, but only if they’re someone WORTH considering.  Examples:  a friend.  a family member.  Non-Examples:  a stranger.  a friend of a friend of a friend.  You get the picture.  Some people call me a Bitch.  I capitalize it because really, it’s not that bad of a thing.  If being a Bitch means that I’m someone who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself or someone she loves, then so be it.  If being a Bitch means I’m a woman who won’t settle for being dicked over, fabulous.  I’d rather be a Bitch than be some girl who whines when she is disrespected, or worse CRIES, then does nothing about it.

Being a Bitch has it’s good points.

Being a Bitch has gotten me into trouble sometimes.  Once, I was asked to leave a bar by a bouncer on a power trip.  However, the reason was that he was making rude comments to a girlfriend of mine, and I called him out.  Then there was B’s birthday, where his friend basically told him off, told him to choose between his relationship with me and his friendship with him, and I went the hell off.  I turned into Whitney Houston that night, all “Hell to the NO!” and basically told him where he could go.  Sometimes people look at me like I’m crazy, but you know what?  When I see a woman who is being disrespected by anyone, be it man or woman, whatever, and I witness her do nothing about it, I look at HER like she’s crazy.  Especially if she starts talking about women’s rights and how we shouldn’t have to deal with shit like this in this day and age.  Girl, you’re right.  But you’ve got one problem…  Who does you think is responsible for making sure we WOMEN are treated with respect?  Everyone else?  Nope, think again.  You’re responsible for that yourself.

So yeah, I’ve got a little bit of an attitude problem.  I could stand to tone it down a notch.  It riles me up when I’ve had a little bit of liquor (mostly vodka) to drink, and sometimes I need to take a chill pill.  But I’ll tell you what… let some random guy grab my ass at the bar.  He might not get his fingers back.  Let some guy in a power position treat me like shit (ahem, last boss).  He’s going to get some feistiness right back in his direction.

That is definitely one thing about me that I’m not changing.

The nose, however…  That’s still up for debate.

Clueless Cat also commented on this debate.

Things I cannot say

I just saw something while walking around the city on my lunch break that made me laugh out loud to myself.  This caused a couple people on the sidewalk to stare at me.  I could care less, becauase I just got affirmation (for the second time this week!!!!) that karma DOES come back to bite people in the ass. 

I was standing in the bank, waiting to deposit the check B had given me for the house payment, and I was fiddling with my keys in my pocket.  Imagining the clock hitting 5:00 so that I could go home and head to the movies with B tonight.  Regular, mundane thoughts.  After the teller got me all squared away, I turned around to walk out.  I was putting my things back into my bag when I suddenly looked up, thankfully not running into the person coming in.  She didn’t see me, but I saw her.

That bitch!

I did a double-take, surprised that it was really her, walking into the bank.  MY bank. 

This girl, this…woman?, went to high school with me.  I dated her younger brother light years ago.  She was part of a group of girls that decided they were going to hate me and two of my best friends.  For no particular reason.  Just because.

They made our lives miserable.

Two of the girls would pass my friend M as she was waiting outside for her bus by the street and flip her off and call her a whore.  She was 14 and very much a virgin.

And that is just ONE EXAMPLE.

But this girl, this girl in the bank…  I specifically remember one time during a town festival where I was walking down the sidewalk by myself, on my way to meet two friends of mine and I passed her and her friend.  We’ll call the friend Frizzy Hair, because that’s what she had.  Long, frizzed-out hair.  Anyway… So Frizzy Hair was mad at me because I was dating this very cute guy at our high school.  He was my age.  She had a crush on him.  And she was 3 years older than him.    When they saw me on the sidewalk, Frizzy Hair yelled out “I should kick your ass, bitch.”  And the other girl, her friend, just laughed.  They passed me on the sidewalk and continued to laugh while they walked.  The tears welled up in my eyes and I could hear them until they rounded the corner.

High school was rough.

This group of girls were just unhappy people in a small town with nothing better to do than to pick on some younger girls.  Younger girls who were impressionable and insecure and totally unsure of themselves.  Luckily for me, I escaped my adolescence pretty much unscathed.  I managed to build up some confidence.  Eventually, I became pretty out spoken and unafraid of standing up for myself. 

It was then that I got the idea for today’s post.  Things I cannot say, for fear of conflict, revenge, or just because it would make me mean.  Things that I think inside my head and hold back.  Sometimes it’s better to hold back.

What I would say to Frizzy Hair today:

“I bet it sucks to be such a loser.  To be stuck in that same small town with no life and no hope of amounting to anything.  To look back on your childhood and realize that you were a huge bitch.  To realize that when things got rough for you, no one cared.”

What I would say to friend of Frizzy Hair:

“Hahahahahaha!  Wow.  That’s some great adult acne you’ve got there.  Your face totally looks like the surface of the moon.  Have you tried Proactiv?  It works wonders, I hear.  Oh, and say hi to your brother for me.  Kisses!”

What I would say to my stepmother: (story to come soon on the monster that SHE is, promise)

“I think you are a pathetic, sad excuse for a woman.  You are so miserable and you just want everyone else around you to be miserable.  Even though you tried to ruin my life, it didn’t work.  I’m still standing.  And I’m going nowhere but up from here!  You, on the other hand, are lonely, and no one cares to listen to you anymore.  Now that you’ve lost your job, you have nothing.  You didn’t deserve my father, even with his faults.  And you don’t deserve to have a relationship with me.  That’s why I walked out and burned that bridge — because life is so much better without you in it!”

What I would say to my former boss:

“You did a great job of making me miserable for the last six months that I was there.  The day that you sat in front of me and berated me for a mistake that someone else in the office made, was the day that I realized I needed to quit.  You were a sexist pig who didn’t even take the time to get to know me.  You only saw me as a young WOMAN who didn’t know half of what you did.  And you treated me worse than I’ve ever been treated by anybody in my entire life.  Leaving your company was the BEST thing I’ve ever done.  And, anyone who mentions your business gets my God’s honest opinion about it…and the people who run it.  It’s not pretty.”

Sometimes we have opinions that are better left unsaid.  It makes the world and our immediate environment a better place to tolerate.  But it doesn’t mean that we can’t think things or have strong opinions about other people. 

All in all, karma always comes back to get you.  Just when you think you’ve escaped its clutches, it shows up and knocks you off your feet.  It can turn your world upside down.  And all you can do is take the lesson and try to remember it the next time you are mean-spirited or cruel.  Or your bad karma will just keep coming back.

Everyone gets theirs.

Word Vomit = Bad.

Sometimes I do know how to keep my mouth shut.  It’s not very often, but it does happen.  Like in the following circumstances:

1.  One particular coworker of mine passes by my desk probably 10 times a day.  She never says hi.  Today we both met at the entry door at the same time and she “huffed” and pushed her way through first. 

What I was thinking: Seriously?  You have the world’s largest stick up your ass.

What I said: “Oh, excuse me.  How are you?”

Yeah, she never responded either.

2.  Earlier, another of my coworkers approached my desk and said “Now, I’m certainly not suggesting that you do this, but the woman here before you used to wash the dishes in the kitchen sink.  And occasionally she’d send out emails letting people know it was time to clean out the fridge.  That thing is kind of gross back there!”

What I was thinking: Last time I checked, “maid” was not in my job description.  Seriously, all of you are older than me.  I have to remind you to wash your dishes and dump out your old food?  This is the perfect way to get on my bad side!

What I said:  “Well, that’s funny, because I think everyone is more than capable of cleaning up after themselves.  But I’ll be glad to send out a reminder email to everyone.”

Ugh…

3.  Yesterday on my way to work, I called B.  This is a usual occurrence…we talk on our ways to work.  He picked up the phone and seemed completely exasperated.  He snapped at me and said he was “BUSY!” and would need to call me back later.  Then he hung up abruptly before I could respond.

What I was thinking: Who pissed in your cheerios this morning, buddy?   That was totally uncalled for.

What I said: Later, after I let him cool off, I called him back and said “You okay baby?  You seemed agitated this morning.”

He apologized and said he was sorry for snapping at me.  That it was a rough morning and he didn’t mean to take it out on me.  Sometimes it’s easier to just let things go.

4.  A friend of mine is going through a make-it or break-it situation with her boyfriend of 3 years.  He treats her like crap and totally takes advantage of her and I’m sick of it.  Today she starts to tell me about how he sat on his butt last night in front of the television while she cooked dinner, cleaned up all the dishes, washed his clothes for him.  This is normal for those two.  He doesn’t have the “team” mentality.

What I was thinking:  Seriously, open up your eyes!  He’s never going to change!  He’s a huge piece of shit and he lies to you and he isn’t admirable or honest or hardworking!  He’s a pig!  He has totally used you for years!  Because you’re too nice to stop doing things for him!  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I said:  “And you’re surprised?  I really think you should stop doing so many things for him and start taking care of yourself.  His attitude sucks.”

I keep praying she sees the light.

5.  Yesterday while I was on the phone with my sister, she started her usual antics of driving me crazy.  I casually mentioned that the weather might not be ideal this weekend for our plans because someone had told me we might get snow.  She proceeds to check every single weather web site for evidence, all the while interrupting every chance I made to change the topic.  I just mentioned it casually for fuck’s sake.  I didn’t want it to start a 30 minute conversation about the weather possibilities.

What I was thinking:  OMG, you’re doing it again.  You’re driving me fucking crazy.  Do you even hear anything I say?  No, you probably don’t because you’re too busy talking OVER ME.  Lalalala I could sit here and not say anything for 20 minutes and you probably wouldn’t notice because you’re too busy yacking away over there and interrupting every sentence I start!  WANT.TO.HANG.UP.PHONE….NOW!

What I said:  “S, okay!  I get it.  There is no evidence of snow in the forecast.  It’s something I heard!”

She responded with “What is your problem?  Bad mood today?”  No, but sometimes you make me want to claw my own eyeballs out.

I have nothing but love for these people, but sometimes they really test my patience.  AND the imaginary zipper over my mouth that I visualize when I want to avoid a tough situation. 

I have no problem with confrontation, but sometimes life is just easier if you suck it up.

Unspoken Words

Inspiration from These Little Moments…unspoken words, or, something
for everyone…

…I honestly love you.  You’re my sister and you mean well, but you
drive me crazy.  The psycho calling, the incessant complaining about
your sex life and your teenage daughter, and the inevitable “what’s
wrong with you?” when I don’t sound cheerful and happy.  Sometimes I
just want to turn my phone off and ignore you for a few days.

…I miss you so much that sometimes its hard for me to breathe.
You’ve been gone for nearly three years now — how time flies.  Things
haven’t been the same since you died.  Not Thanksgiving.  Not
Christmas.  Nothing.  It’s not the same and I don’t enjoy the holidays
anymore.  I wish you were still here, Daddy.

…Thank you for making me laugh.  You really are my rock.  You’re
understanding and patient with me, and Lord knows I need that.  I’m so
in love with you and I can’t wait to start the rest of my life with you.

…It’s hard to be your friend sometimes.  Your head is so far up your
boyfriends butt that I feel as though we’re only friends over the
phone.  I haven’t seen you in more than a month.  We’ve
been friends for a long time, but I wish you’d pull yourself away from
your selfish boyfriend and have a life of your own.  I’d like to see you more.

 …I’m glad that we reconciled.  Truth be told, I was really unhappy
when we weren’t speaking.  I was angry, yes, but sad too.  We have fun
together and you make me laugh.  Thanks for extending the olive branch
first, when I was too stubborn to do so.

…You are my best friend in the entire world.  Really.  Even when you
don’t call me back because you don’t feel like talking to anyone.  I
know that I can tell you anything and you won’t judge me.  More often
than not, you’ll even be able to relate.  You’re hilarious and I need
a dose of that every so often.  Thank you for being the best friend a
girl could have.

…I’m sorry that I never really got to know you.  I was too little to
understand or appreciate what having you around meant.  But I want you
to know that I think about you every day, Mom.  You’ve been gone for a
long time, but not long enough to ever make me forget about you.
Thank you for all you sacrificed to raise me.

…You have been a tremendous source of inspiration to me for a long
time.  You encourage me; you are honest with me.  You support me.  You
make me laugh.  You tell me that you miss me, and it’s usually when I
need to hear it the most.  I’m so glad we’re friends.  And I’m so glad
that no matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other, it’s
never weird. 

…You are the best purchase I’ve ever made in my life.  You are the
first dog I’ve ever had that was truly “mine.”  No matter how I
feel when I come home at the end of the day, seeing your little
smiling face and feeling you jump around my feet just erases my
worries.  You are truly a 6 pound bundle of joy.