I’m lucky that M is my friend.
We met in the summer of 1981. We had both just graduated from business schools, and had started working as Assistant Brand Managers at Gillette, me on Mink Difference Hair Spray and she on Silkience shampoo. We instantly connected, and now, 28 years later, she is still one of my closest friends.
There are many adjectives I would use to describe M-smart, funny, caring, thoughtful, creative, kind, and generous, to name a few. But of all the many words I could use to describe her, gushy would not be among them.
As defined by Webster, gushy means “effusive sentimentality.” That is definitely not M.
In the summer of 2005, M came across a wonderful three-dimensional boxed painting of New York City, with a thin, stylish woman in the foreground. She thought of me and bought it. For Christmas that year, M decided to send it.
I wasn’t expecting anything, and was surprised to open a package (no wrapping on this gift) and see this beautiful piece of art that spoke directly to me.
There was no note and no return address. I wondered if the sender wanted to be anonymous.
But then I happened to turn the painting over, and stuck on the back was a yellow post-it, with a hastily written note, in pencil yet:
Lyn-
A gift for you!Love,
M
The lack of thought in the note was inversely proportional to ithe gift’s thoughtfulness .
As I said, I am so lucky that M is my friend.
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