the flavor of my friendships...

Last night, I said my prayers.
I kissed girl goodnight.
I kissed boy goodnight.
I kissed boy again.
I kissed girl, tickled girl, tucked girl in and then I kissed her again.
I got in bed with boy and 13 sharks, 3 dogs, 2 angry birds, 1 black mamba snake and wrapped my arms around his skinny, little body.
This sends me right into lala land on any normal night.


Guess what?  
Not a normal night.
There was an absence of something in the house.
Friends.


In the kitchen I let the refrigerator stand open a long while.  
It's light illuminated the entire room.  
A moth flew inside.
I closed the door.  Nothing in there, not even the moth, could buoy my spirits.
In the past few hours many of my friends had left me, left my house.   Not gone forever, but it felt that way.


The freezer light is more powerful.  
Chocolate Chip Mint.


Ice cream is so much better eaten from the container.
Over the sink, one large spoonful, gingerly clings to the silverware.  
If I lick it just right, it'll stay put.  
Too much pressure on any part will cause it to melt down the side and slide right off the spoon and into the waiting sink.


I closed the freezer, let the dark fill the room, licked my spoon clean.


Feeling better, but not quite right still.


Up on the balcony of my bedroom, I can hear the creek and sometimes right before sleep, I like to stand there a while and do just that.  
Rain clouds blocked the moon, but for a few moments they cleared away and out she came, soft, glowing, cool and alive, lighting the world, turning the canyon all silvery.


As I lay in my bed watching the moon over the mountains, I thought of friends and ice cream; the flavors they bring to my existence...
I have an entire pallor of flavors in my life, lucky, lucky me, but most recently I've enjoyed; Cookies and Cream - Laura, Mint Chocolate Chip - Lisa, New York Super Fudge Chunk with a cherry on top - Christina,  Vanilla (pure, strong vanilla)  with hot fudge and whipped cream -  Rebecca (plus Jerod and Co.),  Then there is the Organic Dark Chocolate with Peanut Butter - B.


Your love is better then ice cream.