A long-anticipated white candle

Big Shady is here this week and we are having a blast. What does that have to do with anything? Here goes (the short version).... We were in the same sorority in college, which is how we met (our dates ditched us at a party to go drink at another party in the same building). Through 8 1/2 years and several questionable situations, I am proud to call her my best friend.

One of our sorority's traditions involves a "white candle" for someone who gets engaged. It's a HUGE deal (when you're in college). Everybody gets together and someone has made the honoree a white candle. No one knows who the honoree is. You pass the candle around the circle and depending on the number of times it's passed around before it's blown out by the honoree, you know what the special occasion is (engaged, pregnant, etc., though we never did pass a pregnancy white candle). While it would have been really exciting for me to be the honoree when I was in college, it is no longer a big deal. I have friends that I want to share this time in my life with, and most of those are not leftovers from college. Big Shady is a leftover from college, and in addition to the entire suitcase full of goodies (cheez-its, dark chocolate, wedding planners, and books) she brought me, she made me what else but a white candle.

She got it out and I laughed and cried all at the same time. Of course we had to pass it back and forth and I had to blow it out. Laughter came because now, 6 years after graduation, into my 30's, I find it a little ridiculous. Tears came because I am blessed to share this with my best friend.