I’m stumped.  I’m sitting here trying to remember the first time I met Alex’s best friend, Liz, and I can’t figure out when it was.  You can ask any of my Canandaigua friends, and they’ll tell you I have a terrible memory and can barely remember yesterday.  However, for some bizarre reason, I have an uncanny ability to remember my first encounter with people, from exactly where we were standing when we first met right down to the shoes they had on their feet.  But Liz, I am totally blanking out on.  As I write this though, it’s dawning on me…maybe I can’t remember the first time I met Liz because it feels like I’ve known her my whole life.

Liz is one of those people that you can always always count on.  She’d come to pick you up and make sure you wouldn’t have to walk into a party alone even though it would be way out of her way and she’d have to backtrack to get you.   If you were throwing a party, Liz would not only bring a homemade dish to pass even though she is crazy busy and had to stay up til 2am to make it, but she’d come early to help you get ready and stay late to help you clean.  She’d buy all the girls dinner who went out for HER bachelorette party to show them how much she appreciates them even though it was crazy expensive and at a time that, for once, she should let people take care of her.  And when you had a baby, Liz is the type of person that would come over and visit, with food, and hold that baby even if he cried for an hour straight while she let you sit back and catch a break for once. You can tell her how you really feel about things and she’ll support you, even if what you’re saying is absolutely ridiculous (I, obviously, am only guessing this…I’m such a rational person that I’d never, ever say anything ridiculous.  Ever.)  She is the best.  And I’m so lucky that somehow she managed to be best friends with Alex for many, many years, and can commiserate with me when he is being a pain in the neck  now she is one of mine.

A few weeks ago, Liz and Danny brought the most beautiful baby girl into the world and I am thrilled that they have already decided that Little Miss Alison Olivia is going to marry Leo and agreed to force her into letting me come wedding dress shopping and having 50% say in all of her wedding plans which will take place in October of 2045 at The Boston Public Library–not that I’ll be a meddling mother-in-law or anything 😉    Liz and Danny are going to raise one amazing little girl, because they are two truly amazing human beings.  Liz, for all the reasons I’ve stated above, and Danny because he laughs at my jokes, which even I will admit, aren’t funny in the slightest bit.  And when she follows in their footsteps, Allie is going to grow up to be beautiful (obviously), crazy outgoing, supportive, caring, and such a great friend.  I’ll be so happy to call her my daughter-law…because that IS happening.

Love, love, love you all.