Happy Birthday, friend

Today is the 28th birthday of the first boy I ever loved. Today, he is one of the few men I currently love. Through it all, he's been a friend, distant, my partner in crime, and a total stranger. I'm so thankful for every moment.

Mike currently lives in California, but every Christmas for most of our adult lives we've gathered at the Hotel Albert in Fairview to escape family and drink and smoke. Cigarettes have been eliminated, and partners added to the equation. No matter how long since we've talked, Mike and I can reconnect somehow. We're lucky like that.

In high school, he was my confidante, a duty he didn't always like having. I stayed the night at his house, and it was his basement where I retreated to after basketball games. His mother remains one of my heroes, and his home one where I still forget to knock.

Mike has welcomed Craig into the dynamic of our relationship and I hope to someday extend his partner the same. We've evolved as people and friends, and grown closer in ways we couldn't have fathomed as children - politically, spiritually, artistically.

Mike plays a major part in my history, and remembering him always makes me smile. It's a joy to talk to him on the phone, and has been amazing to see him 'grow up' (a later bloomer, eh ;) ). No one besides my husband has ever been able to make me so furious and so ecstatic at the same time. I'd do pretty much anything for him, even not tease him about being older than me.

Happy Birthday Mike. I love you.