As you may have seen from this fabulous thread, @19syllables is approaching a landmark birthday this week. If you’ve never had the pleasure of hanging out with Haiku, then reading through her words of wisdom for her daughters will give you some sense of what it’s like to be her friend. And being her friend is a complete privilege. In many ways our lives are very different and as she wrote here, the media would like women like us to pitch ourselves against each other. But as we all know, opposites attract! Not only are our lives very different, we are hilariously ridiculously different, full stop.
When we’re chatting over coffee I start one of my long and detailed (and sometimes tedious!) stories. Before long she’s impatiently interjecting with questions or a summary conclusion. “Well let me finish the story and you’ll find out,” I retort. When we’re on a photo adventure she’ll be bouncing all over the place, waving limbs and busting moves while I through gritted teeth say: “Hold still, I haven’t got my shot yet.” I am a dyed-in-the-wool planner, carefully and logically plotting things out before I start. She meanwhile will say yes to a day out, then realise she can’t go because it’s A Level results day. Me: “I already checked and that’s not A Level results day.” Her: “Ah, maybe I’m still on holiday.” Me: “No, you’re back by then.” Her: “So I can come?” Me: “YES!” Her: “HURRAH!”
My kitchen is turning into a little shrine of things she turns up with. On the window sill a fading dragon from Chinese New Year and a glass in which she brought a flower for my newly decorated bedroom. In the drawer is a paper vulva and some random stickers that she picked up at a festival to use as a prop for a photo. On the back of the door is a cool bag that she delivered full of food when I was sick earlier this year. So many touches of kindness season my kitchen.
And she is the greatest cheerleader I know. For family, for friends and for nature. She is a clarion call for living, loving and feeling. Recently I was sat at my desk working on a dull document when my phone pinged: “I’m actually fucking crying with rage. IN A FUCKING CAFE.” She’d stumbled across something and in her reading of it a penny had dropped about something that had been causing me sadness. Her response to what she read was passionate angry tears; for me and for others who are dear to me. The words she fired off in the ignominious state of crying IN A FUCKING CAFE did more to ease my emotional burden than she’ll ever know.
So if you want to know what kind of friend she is, know that she will run naked across a bridge at 8am, don her most elegant skirt in a wood, deliver food parcels when you’re sick and cry tears of rage about the things that hurt you. She really is one of the best!
Happy birthday, my friend! ?
This is a stunning image and captures 19S perfectly.
I have met her just once and interacted a bit in cyber. Yet I know she is beautiful inside and out. Her energy, wit, kindness, passion…
I am glad to know her, if only a little. 🙂
beautiful words, beautiful image – this post is a wonderful gift to your friend (who I admire from a distance) ?
What a beautiful tribute, and equally beautiful image.
Aww,all this is lovely! And i adore lavender!
Beautiful. What a lovely birthday tribute to a great friend ??
What a privilege it is to have a friend like that, beautiful words and a lovely image
Speaking of tears, this has me crying at the beautiful way you’ve described her friendship, at the fierce, funny, beautiful, wonderful woman that she is, at the beauty of your friendship together and towards others, myself included. This is such a wonderful tribute and such a beautiful photo! Love to you both!
Beautiful tribute.
And what a lucky and excellent woman you must be to inspire such friendship.
This whole post made me smile to very much because it is a beautiful tribute to a lovely person but also celebrates the try joys of a wonderful friendship which is a very precious and beautiful thing.
Mollyx
From my interaction on Twitter with Haiku,, she is indeed a wonderful person. You are so fortunate to have such beautiful friendship.
Happy birthday @19syllables
What a friend to have!
I’m crying here, reading your words because both of you are amazing and together you’re unstoppable. You have captured so much of the essence of Haiku and what an awesome friend she is.
What a perfect image to celebrate her with.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
This is all so beautiful – love it love it love it – u lucky things to have such a fab relationship x
A gorgeous tribute to a stunning woman, a woman who is so beautiful inside and out, a true friend. Love the image, love the words, but love the post as a whole a lot more!
Rebel xox
Love, love, love this. Two different but both beautiful people. This celebration of 19s is perfect.
I’ve tried a few time now to write a response to this which expresses how touched and warmed I am by your words here, but nothing is right. Please will you accept a rain-checked and most enormous hug which I will deliver in person with much exuberant squeezing when I see you. xxx
That’s sounds like a very good alternative to a comment!
Wow – what a stunning post. <3 You guys seem lucky to have each other x
Beautiful words for someone who really is as beautiful on the inside as the image shows her to be on the outside.
Beautiful words and an image that is just wonderful. You are both beautiful people and your friendship just shines through.
The image is beautiful, but the words are just so magical. Friendship is such a joy and you described the beauty of your friendship and your friends in the most wonderful way. My heart was well and truly warmed by your post x
Love how the pink of the nipples and the purple of the lavender accentuate each other. Keep returning to the is captivating image.
What a wonderful tribute to a dear friend.
Beautiful image and an even more beautiful friendship, you’re both truly blessed. Thank you for sharing.
What lovely tribute. Thank you for sharing a great picture but also a lovely person!
What a glorious pair you make! I love hearing about and seeing the results of your adventures. More please 🙂
Such a beautiful post, we should all be so lucky to have such a wonderful friend! X