Next month I will be seeing my best friend from childhood for the first time in over 20 (25?) years. Looking back through the haze of years I believe I first met her (who shall remain nameless since she certainly did not sign on to this crazy train of oversharing we call Manic Mommies) when we were in pre-school, but our friendship was solidified when she moved two doors down from my house.

Sometime during elementary school her family moved a few towns over, which at the time felt like they were moving across the country, and without the aid of cellphones, e-mail and Facebook, we eventually lost touch.

While I don’t remember the last time we spoke, I do remember one of my last visits to her house. We must have been in junior high school, a time most readers and listeners know was terrible for me, and I remember being amazed by my friend. While I was awkward and isolated, she was gorgeous, vivacious and popular. I was in awe and totally intimidated by her.

Fast forward to this year when we, through the magic of Facebook, were able to reconnect. Flipping through ALL her pictures (stalker much?) I saw that same gorgeous girl, now a more gorgeous woman, who has a family of beautiful kids, a good-looking husband and a seemingly wonderful life. 

Isn’t Facebook great for showing the happy, happy, joy, joy side of things?

Given our history and my own belief that everyone knows what a hot mess my life is, you can imagine my surprise when my friend told me that she found the idea of seeing me intimidating. When I told her she was crazy to think that she sent me this…

ok…perspective…here’s the view from where I sit…

You are beautiful, thin, healthy – and what a smile – - you have a gorgeous family…you are an incredible writer, you have a kick ass job(s), you are technically savvy and a marketing whizz. you have your own business and apparently now run your father’s, you make time for your kids and seem to be some kind of super Mom. You jet set. you are COOL. Like the real cool that others only pretend to be…

Yes. My friend, I am totally 100% intimidated by you…I’m actually nervous to “meet you”.

But more than that I am excited because I know even while you are indeed “all that” you are also very real and still my best friend from L…. road

Ummm. Wow. As you know, I am all about the validation, but to receive a flood of it from such a distant (both geographical and chronological) source left me breathless. And I’m going to take the leap to say that what she says is true-ish. But of course it’s only part of the story. The shiny happy, out there for the world, part of the story that I choose to share with the world.

Of course what she doesn’t know is what a mess my house is, how I’m always behind on my client billing, how the people at the school checked my ID every time I picked up the kids because they didn’t recognize me, how I’m constantly paying late fees because I forget to sign the kids up for soccer and other activities, that I rely on the kindness of neighbors to remind me when school is closed, I have no idea how to wear makeup and I’m sure I’m neglecting my husband.

So, clearly she should not be intimidated, and we should all remember that looks can be deceiving.