Sometimes we all make mistakes in life. I had come to realize this long, long ago, probably when I was a teen, so I adopted the philosophy, "No regrets." Well, that served me really well until a few years ago I did something I still truly regret. I think I regret it so much because it affected people other than just me & I hurt people I love so much. Today is my birthday & the one person that opened my day with me I don't even deserve in my life today, let alone deserve the friendship she offers me every day. I wonder every day how she looks at me.....and wonder much deeper still how we've gotten so close. Andrea's friendship is so special to me in ways I can't even describe. If I were in her shoes, I would truly hate me, yet at midnight tonight, she came to my desk with a birthday card & cake & invited me over for a drink after work. I said I'd come over, but nearly flaked out until I realized I really needed the day to start my day out with a great friend, in a happy way. Funny how things work out. We've known each other since late 2003. Our relationship began as 2 people thrown together by our husbands' friendship. We hung out a lot, but didn't necessarily call each other. Then we worked together, too. We went out on breaks together & still hung out on weekends, but still didn't necessarily call each other . Then the regretful event in my life took place. We even talked then about never being particularily close. Then she stopped working with me and life events had us not hanging out so much, not talking....not much of anything. I don't really know what happened, but we gradually began hanging out a little, then started working together again. It seemed with that one event, we're closer than ever, and today she's one of the people I would trust most with my life. She has backed me up even when I'm not sure I'd back up my own decisions. At a time in my life when I need someone most, she's there. And I want to thank her for everything.