Ode to Sam

My best friend wakes up beside me each morning. He makes model airplanes and plays basketball and has an endless supply of movie trivia – and kindness. He is easy going and makes friends everywhere he goes. He listens to Emo and Mo’town. He’ll sing unabashedly to the soundtrack of Moulin Rouge. He makes me laugh. He makes my stomach flutter when he looks at me with those clear, blue, doe eyes. Eyes that view the world differently from anyone else. He loves to explore – the physical world and the internal psyche. He holds convictions about things that matter, yet he’s open to change when a good case is made. His bedtime reading includes books on modern architecture and Calvin’s theology and the history of Palestine. He always wants to know more...about...everything. About poetry, theoretical physics, fly-fishing, pop culture, the details of my day. He loves to talk and to teach. But when I need him to, he listens - intently, patiently. And he seems to know when it’s right to tell me to get over it (or myself) or when the only answer is simply silence...and a foot rub. He loves his family. He loves my family! I’ve known him for 12 years and there is no one on earth for whom I have greater respect. And he can dance – seriously, he has skills – and isn’t ashamed to show them off in our living room. Have I mentioned that I love him? Happy 33rd Birthday, my darling Sam. Thanks for doing this thing with me.