My Introduction to Elaine

Losing Elaine has been a gut-wrenching experience for the past 3 weeks.  I’ve written a lot about it, even though writing about the personal lives (or in this case, death) of my family/friends is usually off my acceptable blog topic list.  But, I need to share this story… and include it as one of my ways to remember her.

……….

The first time I met Elaine was a little over 7 years ago.  She’d already known Ken for about 2 years prior to that, so they had a very established friendship.

When Ken brought me over to her apartment the first time it was almost like being introduced to someone’s parents… because I knew how much Ken respected Elaine’s opinion.

Instead of feeling the pressure of meeting her for the first time, something quite comical happened that lightened the mood.

I walked in her apartment door carrying my 6 month old son on my hip.  Ken introduced us and Elaine invited me/us to sit down.  What happened next is one of my favorite memories of Elaine.

Jack (Elaine’s Jack Russell Terrier, then just a year or so old) ran straight over to me, jumped into my lap and let his entire bladder go - soaking my jeans all the way through, and horrifying both me and Elaine!

I could tell that Elaine was embarrassed, but she handled it the way she always did - with a laugh and her famous “no problem” attitude.

She insisted that I take off my jeans so she could launder them on the spot.  I was hesitant - I mean, I’d just met this person and here her dog just peed all over me!  Now I’m supposed to trust that my jeans will stay in one piece if they’re washed?!

I politely declined, saying that I didn’t think we were staying long so I’d just change when I got back.  At this point I was balancing my baby in mid-air so he wouldn’t get wet from Jack’s “accident” and trying not to look really uncomfortable.

Elaine wouldn’t have any of it.  She INSISTED.

I asked her exactly what was I supposed to wear while I was waiting for my jeans to wash and dry?  Elaine answered that I could of course borrow a pair of her shorts to wear in the meantime…

… to put it nicely, I’m only 5′3″ and I weigh about 110 pounds and it went without saying that there was a bit of a size difference between Elaine and I.  I’m sure we were both trying to figure out the logistics of my wearing anything from her wardrobe.

But it was Elaine’s house and she sorta gave me the first impression that I should do what she said, and quick.  So I put on a pair of her borrowed shorts - the legs of the shorts went past my knees and the waist had to be cinched up with something Elaine found just to hold them on -  I must’ve been quite a sight!

Then Elaine washed and dried my jeans and even asked me if I was allergic to any of her laundry products.

In the end it was kinda neat that Jack peed on me - mainly because we stayed and talked and got to know each other.  If it hadn’t been for good old Jack, I’m sure that first visit would’ve been much shorter.

Because of the circumstances of that first meeting, I think I knew from then on that Elaine was the type of friend I wanted on my side… the kind who takes you at face-value and makes sure to extend her friendship unconditionally.  A friendship that included laundry.