And Then Time Stood Still

Last night I was window shopping while waiting for my friends. We were throwing a birthday party at Happy Sumo and I was early. I wandered around Riverwoods not finding anything particularly eye-catching.

There's a Border's Books near the restaurant and I figured I could amuse myself until my cell phone started announcing arrivals. What I didn't anticipate was the lump-in-the-throat-recollection of last being there and being madly in love last year.

The memory of pouring over books together, mostly cookbooks (and finding and memorizing the title of one so I could present it at Christmas), laughing, snuggling and being so relaxed and happy, was overpowering. That was one of the few weekends that we ever had (made) together. The whole weekend was light and intimate and playful. It was cold and snowy and that didn't matter. I remember thinking then how happy I was. I was surprised at how much of an imprint that day/event/place had made on me.

It's so easy, in the beginning, to build sweet memories. They always linger long past the lifespan of the relationship itself. This trip down memory lane was bittersweet.

Fortunately, I only had time to enjoy the memory but not sulk, as my friends started calling and I was drawn to the present to laugh a ton, eat great food and down some saki. All hail to the Birthday Boy!