Being raised by the daytime soap operas of NBC (‘Days of Our Lives’, ‘Another World’ and ‘Santa Barbara’) and the nighttime soaps of CBS (‘Dallas’, ‘Falcon Crest‘, and ‘Knots Landing’) I’ve rather dramatically viewed my life – and the cast of characters parading through it – as its own dramatic television series. Sometimes it’s a situation comedy, sometimes a serious drama, and sometimes a hellaciously-campy variety show – and always with an eye for an ensemble.
Most people think of me as striving to be the unequivocal star of any given moment, but the somewhat sad truth – sad for its refusal to be believed – is that I’m at my best and most comfortable when I’m part of a bigger story, and just one member of a singular group sensation. Casual observers still won’t believe that, but friends that have known me for decades will begrudgingly agree if they really think about it.
To that end, a quick glimpse into our current cast of characters for this trip to Virginia makes this one of my favorite posts in a long while. Getting together with any combination of this crew is a joy, and a happy reassurance of what really matters in this wayward world.
Our tribe has expanded exponentially over the years, as the children of my friends grow into young adults, and I’m finally able to relate and engage with them as the teenage girl I remain at heart. This was the first time I got to spend some quality time with Ruby and Luca – part of Kristen and George’s merry crew – as well as my first decent chunk of one-on-one time with Anu and Cormac’s youngest daughter Sona – and in the words of Amy Poehler’s ‘Mean Girls’ Mom, “You girls keep me young – oh I love you so much.”
The youngsters and I talked of many things (including the new Taylor Swift album) but that remains within the Circle of Trust that I’ve established with all the kids in my life, and I’m not about to break that here.
If you want the rest of the story, you’ll have to pry it out of the Connors’ dog Milo – and in my limited experience, dog lips sink no ships. More to come…
SEE ALSO:
Part 1: Driving South with Suzie
Part 2: A Loveliness By the River
