Pink of Perfection

Regulars around here will know how I feel about Sara Rose. She is funny and wise and tells stories that break our hearts sometimes. But the thing that kills me over and over, what keeps me in constant state of how-does-she-do-it?, is watching her careen through life with two kids, unflappable optimism, a hot pink manicure and a parade of baked goods in her wake. When I asked her to write a guest post, I had no idea what it would be. So it is a bit sheepishly that I accept this complimentary write-up, but with complete pride and certainty that I say thank you, Sara Rose. I’m not the only one around here whose life you’ve changed for the better.

Wow, I feel so weird to be here writing as a guest!  I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be brave enough to make friends with utterly cool girl, Sarah, nor be writing about her birthday!  I would say I started “creeping” or “lurking” on her blog until one day I got bold enough to leave a comment.  What we have here is a community so warm and welcoming, I never looked back.  I feel, even though I don’t know y’all, each and every one of you is someone I would WANT to know, given the chance.

Anyways, a year ago, Sarah was planning her wedding and feeling dismal abut all the pressure.  So, I got my nerves up and wrote her an email about how weddings should NOT conform to “everyone else’s expectations” but SHOULD be the start of a marriage and how you and your lovely betrothed want that marriage to look.  We became fast penpals from there, which is the irony of the internet.  One day, you’re this loner hippie mom from South Dakota and the next, you’ve got this way cool friend in New York.

I feel the same way about birthdays as I do about weddings.  I want to celebrate them and I want to help the person celebrate being ALIVE, in every sense of that word.  As we head towards the big 3-0, it’s just so easy to get bogged down by the insecurities and the negatives.  A few months ago, I was feeling that too, so I took on some projects to get some of that “meaning” I wanted my life to have before the third decade hit.

In truth, my life looks nothing like what my 18-year-old brain had pictured a decade ago, but I am glad of that.  I am a firm believer in what comes around, goes around and for some reason, I am more than okay with that except for one tiny little detail.  My life had become an insane zoo and my mind spent hours whirling around like a devilish dervish, flirting with catastrophe, all while wearing big earrings.

Enter PoP Sarah.  When I began reading her, it was this gentle reminder for me to stop. Just STOP. Then go forth a bit more calmy, collectedly, and also a bit more fabulously.  Funny thing is that I started reading her blog on my 25th birthday and now I am heading towards 28 this year!  So in honor of our tentative new friendship last year, I sent her a birthday card with a bacon bra on it.  (That’s just how I roll, yo.)

This year I decided to make her something. So, in honor of her new marriage and our co-bliss in all things domestic, I decided to knit her pot holders in aqua and red.  Little did I know I was going to suffer a HUGE setback this week and accidentally knit half of one potholder in the WRONG pattern.  I was knitting these cool Aries potholders but apparently I had flipped a page too many and suddenly my pattern started looking insane.  In a dead panic I texted her because I was going to send them to her Wednesday.  She said, with her usual graceful aplomb, “Whenever!  I’m just so honored to be getting something!”

So I reknitted the one and have the other half finished and, umm, Happy Belated Birthday, hun!  I am a quirky little she-devil at best bumbling through life, so it should be no surprise that I messed up insanely. I should mention why I started to knit.  When I was coming to 27, I was hugely prego with my son and looking for ways to fill my days with a bit more “me” time and “meaningful silence.” Little did I know that knitting would become more meditative to me, than, well, meditating.  Considering I author several blogs, write freelance for a zillion teeny things, am a stay-at-home-mother, and home school like the hippity dippity that I am, you can probably see where knitting fell into place.

PoP Sarah has become one of my closest penpals and a treasured voice in my heart.  While I cannot get her gift to her on time, I can say with certainty that all the gifts she has given me have been everything I needed and more.  Happy Birthday, my dear penpal.  You are a soul sister.

xoxo-

Sara Rose