Becky's visit

My good friend Becky came to visit in February. Becky and I have been friends since high school when we were Co-Editors-in-Chief of our high school paper. I once said to Becky during a heated argument, "You think I know everything. Don't you think I know that." And I wasn't intending to be funny. The fact that she is still my friend after that year speaks volumes about Becky's generosity and willingness to overlook faults.

Becky displayed more of that generosity on this last visit. I had planned to spoil her. I visited her in Vail when I was pregnant with Will and she and Kevin took such great care of me. I remember how she packed me a little goodie bag when I left. It had Girl Scout cookies and hummus and vegetables and Orangina all for the two hour shuttle trip from Vail to Aspen. Now Becky was coming to visit me and this time she was the pregnant one. She wanted a little break from the snow. It was my turn to pamper her. Instead she ended up taking care of me.

First, because of Bill's grandpa's funeral, John's birthday party was postponed and fell during her visit. Not only did Becky have to help with decorating and clean up but a lot of our visiting time was lost to party chaos. The next day it rained. Then early Monday morning I woke up with the stomach flu. I was so disappointed because Becky and I had planned on going hiking that day. I went back to sleep and when I woke up I thought I was better. Well enough to go on the hike. We hiked at Torrey Pines on a nice gentle trail winding down to the beach. The sun was out and the only sign of yesterday's storm was an extra high surf. Some California poppies were beginning to bloom. We got to the beach and I snapped the above photo of Becky and Aedan and then we started going back up. Suddenly my body remembered that I had the stomach flu. I broke into a cold sweat and could hardly move. I have fainted before and I felt like I do right before I faint. I couldn't risk fainting because I was carrying Will on my back. I had to stop every few feet to rest.

I don't know how I ever made it up that hill. Finally, I took Will off my back and let him walk. Becky drove me home and I spent the rest of the day lying on the couch. That night Bill came down with the flu too. Becky left the next day. I woke to find she had made my family breakfast--a German pancake-- and packed herself lunch for her flight home. I remembered sadly the goodie bag she had packed for me. I did feel well enough to drive her to the airport and we stopped at a playground by the beach and let Becky and Aedan soak up some last few rays of sun before they flew back to winter.