I didn’t have a ton of girlfriends growing up — something about having an older brother, or hanging in a music crowd, I really don’t know — but I never had that gaggle o’ladyfriends experience that I know many women had.  I had a few female confidantes with whom I survived high school, and was otherwise surrounded by dudes.  Not in a cool-popular way.  More like in a hey-lauren-why-don’t-you-have-more-girlfriends-so-we-can-date-them kinda way.  It wasn’t until college that I really felt surrounded by women, and after getting through that freshmen year dorm experience (lions and sororities and eating disorders, oh my) I was lucky enough to form multiple powerful and awesome friendships with multiple powerful and awesome ladies.  Enter Emmy ZuZu. 

Emily and I met when she auditioned for a dance company I was co-directing during my sophomore year.  I remember her audition vividly — she owned the stage with total grace and ease and we knew we were going to cast her within the first fifteen seconds.  (The terrific side-story here is that my co-director Dan was also a big immediate superfan of Em’s and seven years later, married her.   Way to abuse your power as director, Dan.  Awesome, Dan!)  Emily and I were buddies for the rest of undergrad, but didn’t seal the deal as ladyfriends-for-life until college spit us both out into the Bay Area.  (By “spit out” I mean we graduated and fortuitously both ended up here, but if you recall your early twenties, this “transitional period” often feels like being upchucked into the real world.  Yes, I said “upchucked.”  This blog is a hit!) 

So.  Lemme tell you about Emily.  Em is one of those friends who has your back before you know your back needs, you know, backing.  Em will show up at your door with chocolate and wine and Thai food because she sensed your voice faltered on the phone, and maybe your “doing fine” wasn’t all that convincing, and maybe when you said you were staying in for the night what you actually meant was you needed to stay in for the night with chocolate and wine and Thai food and awesome company.  Em will give you her doctor cousin’s cell phone number so your uninsured ass can ask about weird skin rashes.  (Thank you, Dr. Z! Eff you, shingles.)  Em will support you when you decide you’re going to change careers four times in one afternoon.  Em will provide networking contacts in each new career arena.  Em will not judge you when you decide you’re not pursuing any of said careers, and instead would like to just keep “rocking” (see “uninsured ass”).  Em also happens to be outrageously talented in several arenas (photography, dance, cooking, graphic design, singing, producing, etc.) and it’s a good thing I like her so much or else I would really, you know, not like her. 

And if I may get really real for just a minute here — I simply would not have made it through my mom’s illness and passing without Emily.  There are no words to describe the strength she provided, inspired, and continues to hold for me — and for my mama — through the last year and beyond.  So my dear Emmy, to quote another rocking girlfriend in my life, I am radically grateful for you.  Thank you for holding space for me.  Thank you for having my back.  Thank you for folding her clothes.  Thank you. 

So. 

May I segue here? 

Emily is doing something super exciting and scary and awesome and hard and rad tomorrow — I will leave the details for her to disclose… in HER blog, http://www.gunboats.tumblr.com !!  (Note, Emily wrote a great post on this here blog a few weeks ago and politely asked her readers not to, you know, stalk me.  I will politely do quite the opposite — go! read! stalk! She is so funny and such a good writer and finds all kinds of terrific moments of gratitude AND she writes multiple times a day.  Puts me to freakin’ shame.)  So I’m writing all of this now because a) I love Emily, everyday, and b) I am sending all kinds of super awesome swirls of energy to Emily specifically today/tomorrow. 

May I hold half the space you hold for me, love.  Go get ‘em. 

Up, up and away,

L