Yesterday was one of those rare perfect days that (for me) seems to come along maybe once in a decade. I think the last one I experienced was in 1998 when I jumped out of a plane in the morning, ate the best cheeseburger of my life for lunch and then went to see a live performance by
that night. I had also recently met the man that I would eventually marry, so everything was rose-colored and imparted with great meaning.
Before the jump.
Facing death and new love can make you really feel the importance of something as mundane as lunch. Did I really eat the best damn cheeseburger ever on that day in 1998? Probably not, but it sure felt that way.
So, what happened on June 6, 2014 that made it one of those rare days of note? The day started off at
in Dallas. My daughter is a huge anime fan, not to mention a kick ass artist. Would you just look at her mad drawing skills?
Did I mention she's 13?
She'd planned her outfit (I think the technical term is Cosplay) for months. She was going to be Sasha from
. She originally was going to attend with two of her friends from school, but it didn't turn out that way. One of these friends decided he had feelings for my daughter. When she informed him that she didn't want to "go out" with him, well, he didn't handle her rejection well.
Female friends couldn't believe she didn't jump at the opportunity to become this boy's girlfriend and they gave her a fair amount of flack for her decision.
But my daughter stood her ground. For one, she's not allowed to date until high school and two, she didn't like this boy as anything more than a friend. And she wanted to remain his friend, but no. (Hey, teenage boys. Watch
Pretty in Pink
. See how boy/girl friendship is done.)
So, I took her. She was in hog heaven. People watching was splendid. She felt at home among the throngs of costumed folks who share her love.
But, and there's always a but...she spotted her two friends among the thousands of attendees. I witnessed my lovely, good-hearted daughter run up to these two kids and then I watched them turn their heads, not even acknowledging her presence, and walk away from her. It. Broke. My. Heart. And yes, I do have one. So, we talked about it and tried not to let those two kids ruin her whole experience. Rejection sucks. I've been there. We've all been there. But it was the first time I'd witnessed it in the moment with someone I love. I didn't like it very much.
Later that night, we went to see
One of the great things about having a teenage daughter (and yes, there are good things about it) is that I get to read YA books with her. The bonus with this book is that it's about death. And love. And fear. And what we leave behind when we're gone.
We knew going in what we were in for; love, loss, and open weeping among strangers. And we did it anyway. Because that's what life is. It's showing up with unbridled enthusiasm, even when you know how it's going to end.
LOVED THIS BOOK. LOVED THIS MOVIE. Check it out. Bring kleenex and someone you love.
Have you seen the movie? Been to A-Kon? Eaten an earth shattering cheeseburger? Had your heart broken? Tell me about it.