Jeff and I have never really been into waiting for a special occasion to offer each other gifts… Our friendship is a daily blessing, so we honor that unique bond in different ways. I always like to surprise him with all sorts of gifts and other nonsensical surprises. But the problem with that is that it becomes a highly challenging affair to find a present whenever official dates such as birthdays and Christmas come up. This time was particularly difficult, as I wanted to offer him something that would be particularly significant, something related to his creative nature and his expressive essence. I teamed up with Ben, who’s the true gearhead of the group, and elected to purchase him a Microcosm pedal from Hologram Electronics, who were supportive enough to make sure I would receive it in time for his birthday. This time, he was the blindfolded one! I started by offering him a photo book featuring The Who, which had been collecting dust in the living room for years… 

“Wow! Thank you so much! The Who…” 

We all laughed, knowing he was faking it, so we gave him his real gift. The “WOW!!! THAT ONE IS GREAT!!!” felt more honest! We kept picking on him about the book for the rest of the evening. Obviously, the cake would come later. Between our song listening sessions, we confessed how grateful we are to be all together after years of relational nightmares. Time doesn’t heal anything, forgiveness does, and it usually comes when we are willing to face ourselves with an honest perspective. That’s what takes the most will and courage, I guess…