… you are truly fortunate. I think the real quote is something like “One friend in a lifetime is much, two are many, three are hardly possible.”

So I guess today would be a day that was hardly possible. Because I spent time today with three wonderful women who have helped me immensly in the past many days, weeks, and months of heartache and all else. And whom I consider my friends.

They say a friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.

And now we meet my friend Toozie aka 2Z. Who has a song in her heart even at the worst of times. Who is dealing with a chronic debilitating disease and still entertains friends. Who sings at local venues when possible and in her house when not.

The joy today with her was to accompany her to the dentist.

Yes, the dentist. Where she began the process of a cosmetic procedure which will give her the smile she has wanted for all of her fifty plus years of life. She likened today to a combination of Christmas and her Honeymoon.

Now I don’t know about you, but if I am drawing similarites between my Honeymoon and a visit to the dentist it probably doesn’t bode well for the husband … but I digress. She was as happy as I’ve ever seen her as she anticipated her new smile, complete with “vampire fangs”.

To round out the day, I asked my two other friends – Ann (from yesterdays blog post) and Texas Linda – to have lunch at the local Olive Garden. All you can eat Soup, Salad and Breadsticks are a wonderful thing all by themselves … but eaten in the company of two friends such as these made it definintely memorable.

As this was the first time they had really met in earnest, I found myself more of an MC as they took turns telling humorous stories from their lives … all of which I had heard, but all of which I laughed at anew. One of the advantages of living a long and event filled life is the ability to tell interesting stories.

Enter Linda – who has lived in many parts of the country and sports a property tatoo from her late husband. It turns out there is a whole set of rules where property tatoos are concerned. If one is a “Critter” she can sport a property tatoo, but only on the posterior portion of her body. A “Righteous Wife” (like my friend Linda) on the other hand, sports her property tatoo on her left shoulder. Rules are rules it seems … especially in these more notorious motorcycle organizations.

It turns out both had had brushes with famous people. Linda tells the story of her meeting with a previous President at the local big box store. I did mention she was from Texas, right? Well, this unnamed prior President and his wife were shopping for various and sundry everyday items … parachutes, pearl cleaners, and the like.

When it came time to check out, Mrs. President had a cart full of items, while the President had only one or two items to buy. At the checkout, he turned to his wife and asked “Can I have some money, please?” She doled out the twenty dollars to him … and when change was made she reached her hand out to take it and return it safely to her purse.

Which begged the question … We trusted him with the economy of the nation, and she doesn’t trust him with 20 dollars?

Ann on the other hand told the story of Don Johnson in his heyday on Miami Vice … on a flight from somewhere in the deep south back to wherever he was living at the time. As many movie stars are wont to do, he made certain assumptions about his fame and relative importance to the world.  And upon entering the airplane, he silently handed the flight attendant a card on which was printed “I am not to be bothered. I do not sign autographs. And I do not talk to the help.”

Her friend the flight attendant, sensing his … hmm … can’t say arrogance … shall we say attitude? … handed him back his card. And in her sweetest southern drawl she said “Well now honey, I’m sure that won’t be any problem. But first you have to tell me. Who are you?”

These are the stories that warmed my heart today at the retelling of them. And as each was shared again, I silently marveled at the good fortune of having friends such as these. Women who know my weaknesses and still sing the words of my song back to me when I have forgotten them.

I am truly blessed.