Haaaapppyy BIRRRRTHHDAYYY dear BRILLIG!

Today is the birfday o'the Brillig, and you're going to get to see some hilarious (and slightly embarrassing) pictures of the two of us. And she might kill me.But I do not care.

I met Brill under unusual, awkward circumstances. She was two years above me in school and we were both in Drama and Choir, and somehow, our groups of friends ended up hating each other during my freshman year. It was weird and I cannot 'splain it now, but we didn't like each other.

The next year, my friends and I were in a rough patch, and I was having a hard time with them. Brillig and I had been cast as "leads" (I only say it in quotes because she was the lead and I was . . . like a half lead) in the school musical. And miraculously, we became insta-friends.

As cheesy as this is going to sound, when I became friends with Brillig, I felt as though I had found the other half of my soul. Brillig was the most amazing person I'd ever met. She was/is hilarious, brilliant, interesting, full of joy and fun . . . we were fascinated by SO many of the same things and had SO many of the same mannerisms. We shared a love for quesadillas, pasta and saltine crackers that is hard to describe. We even found out that we slept in the same position. We sang duets (I'm a soprano and she has a GORGEOUS alto voice) and would spend hours at her parent's piano just plunking away and singing at the top of our lungs.She introduced me to new, cuter boys, we stayed up all night sharing our hopes and dreams for the future and listening to her extensive record collection . . . we had SO MUCH FUN. We even make the same face in most of our pictures. See?

I don't know if Brillig would say the same thing about me, but she brought true joy into my life and was my first real, no strings attached friend. (For the record, I have many of those true, amazing friends now, but I had an . . . awkward adolescence, so it took me a while to find my stride and discover myself and figure out how to be a friend. I think Brillig is the first friend where I did something right.)

We had more adventures than I could even begin to describe. I remember one involving a flat tire in my Mom's van . . . another involving and officer thinking we were drunk drivers . . . and somehow (thanks much in part to our/her friend Matt) I have much evidence of rubber gloves . . .

We were away from each other for most holidays and summers because we both spent a great deal of time traveling. We were devastated to have to be apart so she ALWAYS made me fabulous 80's mix tapes to keep me company during the long. lonely days we were forced to spend apart. We'd write each other lengthy letters and I still have BOXES of notes and letters from school and from our times apart and reading them just cracks me up. I love that I still have all of them and can reference them at will.

I guess all those times apart were preparing me to someday be far, far away from her, with no permanent reunion yet in sight. Yet, thanks to miracles of technology, I get to "talk" to her every day. (Holy goodness I am so grateful for IM!!)

Now, I want y'all to go over and with Miss Brillig a happy,happy, happy birthday. And if you figure out how, do it true Kate and Brillig style, and give her the birthday greeting Opera style.

And now my required personal note . . .

Dearest friend . . . I don't think you will ever know how much I love you and how grateful I am that you are in my life. I will forever treasure our friendship and since I can't be there with you, I thought this was the best way to wish you the HAPPIEST of birthdays. I just wish I could be there to share it with you. Now I want you to go out and celebrate in style for me!! LOVE YOU!!