By Nicole Hand
Everyone who is going to have jaw surgery should have a jawbreaker party exactly like I did, and they should also have a group of kick ass girlfriends like mine to throw it for them.
Stacey, a hostess beyond compare, has been planning this party for months. She came up with the idea, organized everything, and communicated with out-of-town family and friends to be sure that they were included, even though they couldn't be physically present. She did this, as she does everything, with grace and ease, totally unruffled as she did 10 things at once to be sure the party came off perfectly.
My girlfriends brought lots of crunchy foods, (that I won't be able to eat soon), desserts, and books for me to borrow. Once everyone arrived we got down to the serious business of chowing down and catching up. The great thing about the party was how little we talked about the upcoming surgery. I got to hear about everyone's busy lives and it took my mind off of - da da duuuuummmmm - the BIG day.
Great Ideas from the Party:
- Fave things: Stacey passed around a book that she created called 'Our Favorite Things' and everyone filled out their fave book, song, way to relax, website, etc. I'll read this when I'm bored and get ideas of how to fill my time. It is also a wonderful way to get to know my friends better.
- A fishbowl full of love: Stacey asked everyone to write words of encouragement or funny/touching memories of time we've spent together. She placed all of these on slips of paper, folded them up, and placed them in a fishbowl. When I feel lonely or grouchy during my recovery, all I have to do is pull a slip of paper and get a message from a friend.
One of my absolute favorite moments of the night is when we all went outside at 11:00 p.m. to look at the largest full moon of the year. We all agreed it didn't look much bigger, but it was a whole lot brighter than usual. It was actually difficult to look at. So instead of looking at the moon, I looked at my friends.
With their faces turned up, radiant in the moonlight, they could've been a band of seraphim, enveloping me in their love and support. I was speechless (and if you know me than you know this is a miracle in itself) and I felt humbled at being a part of this lovely community of women --- and then someone said something funny/naughty and the spell was broken! 100% perfect.
Thank you to everyone who is supporting me. Every gesture of kindness you have made toward me has been deeply felt and treasured. Here's to friendship and love!
