These are my hot pants.
No matter how “real” social media feeds try to be, there’s nothing like a real, in-person friendship. These are the marks of my closest friends.
1. We share leftovers.
One of the best friendship moments for me is standing on the phone in front of the open refrigerator, reading off its contents while a friend on the other end of the line does the same.
I have leftover roast.
I have half a bag of chips.
I have some cheese.
Nachos?
Perfect! See you soon!
If you haven’t experienced this, it is beautiful. There is no pretense when you’re sharing leftovers. It’s as real as it gets.
2. You’ve seen me in my hot pants.
Several years ago, there was an abundance of holiday generosity at my grandma’s nursing home. She received care packages from many sweet organizations and that particular year, they all included a fleece or flannel throw. Grandma spent a lifetime quilting and crocheting, so she had no need of extra blankets. Mom took them all home and made pajama pants. She didn’t have a specific pattern to follow, but she tried different variations of drawstrings and pockets. Since she wasn’t using a pattern, the results were mixed.
They are not figure flattering. I wear them anyway. My husband dubbed them my “hot pants.” I like to think it’s because they keep me warm, not because he’s mocking me.
3. I clean my house while you’re here, not before you arrive.
On one end of the spectrum, this could mean I’m wiping off the toilet seat as you ring my doorbell. At the other end, my friend and I once started cleaning the inside of my dishwasher after we’d had dinner together. If you’ve never experienced the satisfaction of cleaning a gunky dishwasher, you haven’t fully lived.