That Girl Believes in Santa Claus

So I have this friend... she loves sundresses, I Love Lucy re-runs and things that glitter and sparkle. Yes there is a diamond engagement ring on her vision board, and no you are not surprised she has vision board.  She wears flowers in her hair when it's cloudy and fedoras in the pool, and thinks a hotel room without a quality soaking tub is a complete waste of money. She makes friends with strangers wherever we go. Which as you can imagine is beyond annoying for me because I really only like about 14 people in the world, period. She can find joy in the silence of snow and happiness in the spring rain. She cries at sappy movies, likes self help books, mantras and isn't afraid to act a fool.  She's also a believer. She believes in magic and love and yes, probably Santa Claus. Now, I know there are a lot of people out there who when asked, say they believe in true love, but she, well she shouts it from the roof top.  She believes in fairy tales, in happy endings and other things most of us don't have the courage to admit we still want.  She feels emotions and  jumps into love with an intensity that terrifies me.  And it's not as if  her life has been untouched by sadness, or pain.  She's been let down by more than one person and faced just as much heartbreak, or more than the rest of us.  Yet still she believes. I am constantly amazed by her resilience, scared to death of the risks she takes with her heart, and envious of her bravery.  I'm much more cautious, you see. I am a realist.  Happily ever after happens in the movies and in books and possibly to people who don't know that something better could really be out there so they just THINK they've found it.  But, I'm smarter than that, and obviously a bit cynical.  No one is going to pull one over on me! I see the end before it even starts and that keeps me from getting hurt. Life is not a fairy tale and I stopped believing in Santa when I was 9. I am not a believer.  But I secretly want to be. I want to believe that some people get real happy endings, and that you don't have to settle. I want to believe in holding hands when I'm 80 with someone who still sees me as the woman of his dreams. I want to believe if I really try, if  I really put myself out there, fairy tales are possible.  But, I just don't think I'm that brave anymore.

So here's to my friend and the rest of you rainbow chasers; may you catch your Leprechaun, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus...Mr. Right and live Happily Ever After!  And to quote a band that we can all agree has a song for every occasion.."Don't Stop Believin".