Roses from my Friends

This weekend I did another anti-gravity yoga class, which was a lot more fun than the first time because I didn't feel motion sick at all. I also enjoyed a lovely "ladies' picnic" (essentially a bridal shower without all the gifts) for a frisbee friend who is going to get married close to Easter. It was a floral theme, so everyone was wearing "girly" outfits. The funny thing to me was that almost all the women there were incredible athletes, but if anyone saw us all sitting there eating canapes and sipping champagne in our sundresses they would have no idea. Many have played at the elite level of ultimate frisbee, some were long-distance cyclists, I think we had one tae kwon do black belt, one just got back from sailing in the Sydney to Hobart race, and I'm sure others had accomplishments that I didn't even know about. The whole time I was thinking, if we made a pickup team with all these women, it'd be a damn good team. 

On the way home from the party I got the sad news that one of my friends back in the states had passed away. He was a friend I was not particularly close to in recent years, but had seen at a reunion of sorts when I was home visiting over the summer. He was a fellow video store employee and also a regular where I waitressed at one point. He will be remembered as a gentle giant who was usually smiling and easy-going. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but you don't expect someone in their early 30's to just be gone one day. Like a mutual friend said (I'm paraphrasing), if there's someone you've been meaning to catch up with lately, stop putting it off or making excuses. You never know when it's your last chance. While I'm sad Boyd won't be around anymore, I am grateful I got to see him at the reunion and I have one good last memory of us all hanging out together.