In our adult life, Gary and I have definitely seen our friendships ebb and flow with the goings on of life. Who has kids and who doesn’t? Who works hard and who plays hard? Who lives in the city versus the burbs?
Normal. Adult Life. Things.
And I started to write this blog about how Gary’s MS adds a layer of complexity to our friendships. It impacts when people ask us to hang out (we usually don’t get invited to the amusement park outings in the middle of summer). It impacts who we hang out with (we have a small group of friends that Gary feels comfortable enough with that he doesn’t care how his MS impacts his day).
It also impacts what we do when we’re with friends. We often have to ask for patience (do you mind if we stop and rest for a moment) and accommodations (do you mind if we sit inside where there’s AC?) and help (can you take Oscar to the bathroom because Laura is having a meltdown and Gary can’t walk).
Gosh, it’s tiresome.
So I just summed up what was originally like 7 paragraphs because I wanted to focus this blog post on a pair of friends who are our family. The Frieds. Everyone who knows us knows them because…well…because they are our bestys.
Did you know that Mike and Gary have led unintentional parallel lives? Both landed at WMC. Both got a nice letter after freshman year notifying them they weren’t invited back. They moved in together and both went to Carroll Community. They both broke up with their live-in girlfriends to date their now wives 🙂 Then they both moved on to Towson. Then they both got their graduate degrees. The Frieds have the same dining room table as us. The same set of dishes. We stayed in the same hotels on each of our honeymoons. Our kids are the same ages. Ashley and I are both social workers. Most recently, we both landed in Ellicott City. I know. It’s weird.
They have no idea I’m telling you all this personal information about them. But I’m writing this post because Mike is one of the core members of Gary’s Gang – and has participated in our fundraising campaigns every year since our start. Ashley and the boys have joined in and they all deserve some love.
Before Gary’s diagnosis, Mike, Ashley and I used to kid with Gary about how clumsy he was. And they have remained our closest ally’s through each step of this journey. They are the family we chose. They show up to help. They carry the burden. They bring joy and laughter and energy and sweet things that Ashley bakes.
We want to help them raise $5k this year – follow this link to show some love to the peeps who help make all our days better. Thank you!
Gary's Gang 