Lindsay L. O'Connor

I am writing from Binghamton, NY, where Chris and I are staying with my brother and sister-in-law. It has been so good to spend time with them and just to enjoy relaxing and talking together. I’m so glad we got to see my aunt, uncle, and Grammy when they drove to Jason’s. I’m really looking forward to a quick overnight trip at Chris’s grandma’s (she’s wonderful). I’m totally psyched to meet up with Chris’s parents and sister in NYC.

But there’s something to be said for these precious quiet times we have together with two of the best friends we have. In the midst of the fun activities we do, the moments we have sitting around at a restaurant or in the living room talking are the best. I’ve always respected Jason more than just about anyone I know, but we have become such good friends in the last couple years. I love that the four of us are so comfortable with each other. Jason paid us what I think must be about the highest compliment he could give when he said that he felt like he could just be himself with us. He has continued to make comments about how nice it is with us, to not have to have a plan, to just enjoy doing whatever we feel like doing whenever we happen to feel like doing it. The four of us just click.

Aside from that, the great thing about being friends with my brother is that we have so many of the same memories to laugh and talk over, the same family concerns to muse over, many of the same values, enough trust to comfortably talk about the few differences in values, and the same need to psycho-analyze everything about our family and childhood. He has been such a help and comfort to me at pivotal times in my life, but it’s also such a pleasure to enjoy friendship as adults and as equals.

Really, I’m just so glad we’re friends.