The internet is ablaze about a woman laughing for a few minutes while trying on a Chewbacca mask. Already the video, up live on Facebook, has had 120 million+ views. And surprisingly, no negative comments, no one spouting hate. People 100+ million people just wanted to see the joy, a person having fun, not having anything bad to say about something, or spreading any more negativity in the world. Our lives today are so inundated with negativity, or wars and disease, people killing each other, of terrorism and prejudice, that we marvel at the ability of somebody to just.enjoy.the.moment.

I have a friend like that. Her name is Carla, and she is one of the most positive people I know. It’s not hard to get her to laugh. She likes the little things. She randomly texts you if she sees something that reminds her of you. She gets a blissful look on her face after one drink, because she knows that there are more coming with conversations about nothing and everything and that gets her truly and sincerely giddy.

It’s hard finding people that are genuinely optimistic these days, but she is. Her heart, even with its bruises and cracks, is still filled with hope. She’s not the type to spout inspirational messages, but you can tell that she gets inspired. She’s happy with the smell of coffee, or her dog smiling at her from his side of the bed.

That’s one of the reasons I really like having her as a friend. She’s a ray of sunshine, without being too saccharine. We throw dirty jokes around and finish inappropriate statements that would get us into trouble with our conservative friends, but gets the conversation going with the rest of the group. She can find the good side of any person without being too naïve about the reality of the world. She’s seen her share of bad things and have been deliberately hurt by some, but that doesn’t keep her from seeing the opportunities of others.

She puts herself out there, which is hard in itself, and she makes the effort to truly get to know them before deciding if they’re a good fit. She gives them too much chances even, putting her feelings on the line for theirs more often than not.

I marvel at her ability to love and give to others. I see her so tired but still willing to go out if a friend or family asks her to. Maybe it’s being the eldest of five girls, maybe it’s just her, but I’m lucky to count her as a friend.

The world has enough critics, pessimists, enough people like me that have found the cynical edge in every gesture. I hope life never gets to her this way. No matter what she goes through, I hope she still finds the silver lining, because the world needs more of her kind. We all do.

Do you have a friend like her? Do your hardest to keep them. They’re rare, rarer than moonrock in a museum. Rarer than pink diamonds. They are hope, and one should never find themselves without hope.

 

I remember growing up, my parents (mostly my mom who kept the budget), always made sure we had what we needed. We weren’t (and are still not) rich. We’ve made it by with hard work and practical choices, like picking the sturdier shoe that would last as long as it fit, and grocery editing to “Do you want it or do you need it?” Truly, I was raised to know that function mattered most and when we had extra, we still had to put it aside for emergencies. Being CPAs and having the same job for years, my parents were of the generation of stability, and lived it to the letter. Get a job that pays the bills that will earn you a decent retirement after decades of service. Every choice was made to give us the best life they could provide, all the while looking towards a future we would still need to think of, and preparing for the unknown.
That is to say, my parents still thought of providing the best for us, to what they could afford. My mom, when we were growing up and she was busy with her job, took us to restaurants (and not just cooked at home which my father preferred and was the more practical choice) that were nice. My favorite was Pancake House, where we would get chocolate chip pancakes, tacos, a rootbeer float or a milkshake, and a banana split if we were a group. It wasn’t the fanciest, (or really, the healthiest) but it made for some of my favorite memories.

My father would bring us pizza and ice cream sometimes after a late night and we would eat it post bedtime. It was always Pizza Hut’s Super Supreme and Selecta’s Queso Royale. It was amazing because we would be woken up for junk food and got to laugh with our dad, who at the time would be less uptight because of a fun night of drinking.

For me, because I knew those moments were rare, and that it took time, money and effort to get there. Even if I did hate churros at Dulcinea growing up, I could remember heading out to try it one of those weekends. Until now my favorite pizza is from the Hut, no special crusts, just the same flavor, as the greasy, overfilled pie still brings fun night time memories with my family.

My childhood was 80%  practical and 20% moments like these sprinkled in, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What are your favorite moments from your childhood?