Monday, January 11, 2010

Best Friends

This is my best friend, Aaron. He kind of looks like Andre Agassi, kind of like Telly Savalas, kind of like a muppet...



I've known him for longer than I can remember.



Aaron is closer to me than a brother, closer than blood -- our mothers tell us we share a brain.

He is the Tom Sawyer to my Huck Finn.



The Han Solo to my Luke Skywalker.



The Adams to my Jefferson.



The Butch to my Sundance.



Aaron and I have seen a lot of life side by side. He's one of the few people on earth that I trust implicitly, without reservation.

My life would not be what it is without Aaron -- he's the reason we had fun, I'm the reason we survived. People claim to have best friends -- most of them don't scratch the surface. I know what he thinks, he knows what I'll do. The storms of life have battered away at both of us, but the great constant has been an understood, unapologetic, unending friendship.

We have built and ridden and mourned and laughed.

We have talked and yelled and fought and explored.

As children we watched each of our families disintegrate, as adults we are both trying to do a better job with our own families.

With the exception of my wife and children, no relationship in my life is more important than my friendship with Aaron -- in my life he's been the music to my lyrics, and my life is infinitely richer because I know him.

In fact, the greatest compliment that I can give him is that right now, I'm at a rare loss for words. I can't fully express what this friendship means to me. It's life. It's blood. It's the whole world. It's beyond my capacity to express.

And with that in mind, I'm going to share with all of you something Aaron gave me this morning:



He likes my blog so much that it makes him vomit rainbows!

He meant this as a joke, and he's afraid that you, my loyal readers, are going to roast him alive -- I told him you're all far too nice to do anything like that.

So tell me about your best friends.

I told you I'd post it Aaron.

I love you, man!


In the words of Kelly Clarkson (or maybe the kids from Glee): My life would suck without you!

17 comments:

Michelle said...

You are lucky to still have such a wonderful rainbow vomiting friend.

I fear I have never been very good at maintaining relationships. Goes back to not being able to trust people enough to let them get close.

Wait, this is beginning to sound like a therapy session......how much do you charge an hour?

{krista} said...

Only a true friend could love something so much it made them vomit rainbows. You are a lucky guy.

My best friend is way too busy being a mom to her hundred or so kids to read my blog more than once a month or so. But she is for sure someone I can talk to about anything and not have it be awkward, like I just did this past weekend, so it's okay. LOL

Liz {Learning To Juggle} said...

My best friend just offered to let my family stay in the appartment at her house, rent free, while we weather this storm. Loud crazy kids, cat and all...no strings attached.

Best friends know what you need, even if you don't. And even if family and work keep you from daily conversation, you can always start exactly where you left off as if nothing interupted you in the first place!!

Oh...and of course, they can make you vomit rainbows!!

Aaron said...

Oh.....

....My....


....{content removed}....


You really put that on your blog.......IT WAS A JOKE...... But really, your blog is so great....it makes me vomit rainbows.....


Love you man.

P.S. Uh....I am the Sundance Kid.....you were Butch. You were related to him.....and Betsy Ross....and you are part Indian......

Corey~living and loving said...

I'm in shock...I thought I was the only one that puked Rainbows when I read your blog. WOW!

Pam Emmons said...

Only Aaron would send a vomitting rainbow.

Mandie is the other half of me... we're quite joined at the hip, most people will say. I wouldn't have survived dental school without her.

The Rambler said...

Only your best friend will be there laughing when your throwing up rainbows telling you you shouldn't have had that last shot :)

I don't know if I could even scratch the surface to say how I love my best friend. YOu did yours so well.

koreen (aka: winn) said...

Patrick to your Spongebob?

I've never had a lifelong friend. I have friends since I was 15..., some even longer than that, that if I just was still in contact with them I know I could count them as friends...., but still, no lifelong friends. Friendship is an undulating course on the river of life; good friends come and go and often come again, but there are times in which you grow apart "for a season", and it takes work and time and commitment to stay close. And sometimes you grow apart for good.
It doesn't help that I've moved a gazillion billion times since I was... born. I'm a nomad. Hard to keep track of people. Thank god for Facebook!!!

Brad said...

Howie Mandel!!! You forgot... Aaron looks like Howie Mandel!!!

Emily said...

I have a friend like that...she's more my sister than a friend. We've know each other since childhood. There are so many things in my life and I could never share with anyone else. Those friends are truly priceless.
Who's Telly Savalas?
Maybe you guys should get those cheesy best friend necklaces. Already have them? Matching tats then?

Aaron said...

Uh....no tats....and no necklaces.

Chris has a huge scar on his arm from when he tried to punch me and I blocked it. The latch of my watch caught his arm and...well, he has a huge reminder of why not to mess with me.

Other than that....we only have emotional scars.

Hahahaha.

auntemy said...

I heart you both! It's true that not many have a friendship as enduring as yours. You have been through hell and back together, and stuck by through it all. That's why I'm so lucky to count you both among my friends. XOX-Em

Kelly Deneen Raymond said...

You are very, very lucky to have such a long and strong friendship. Even if you do make him vomit rainbows. :)

Anonymous said...

I have to thank the above commenter because there was someone else he was reminding me of but I couldn't place it. Completely reminds me of Howie Mandel!! (and those other ones too)

That's great to have such a good friend. You are both very lucky and extremely blessed to have each other.

Sheri said...

This will probably make everyone who reads this puke - rainbows or otherwise - but...my husband is my absolute best friend. I couldn't imagine my life without him. I tell him everything and he is always there for me. I want to spend 95% of my free time with him. Following close behind my husband is actually my mom. And I have tons of GREAT friends but just the one BEST friend.

Heidi said...

I think you just found the perfect award to hand out!
I love it.
I remember a great friend that used to hold my hair while I was puking, but it wasn't rainbows.
Thanks for letting us get to know Aaron. And I loved the suggestion about the BFF charms!

Pete said...

"If you're gonna spew, spew into this"