my friend jenn

I've known my friend Jenn for 17 years. We met online in 1995. Remember what being online was like in 1995? Most people were still merging onto the information superhighway in the equivalent of an AMC Pacer. That movie 'You've Got Mail' was still three years in the future and it's when 'Hackers' was released. Telling your friends and family you were going to meet someone you met on the internet made them worry for your mental health and your physical safety. Or they just asked you, What is Internet?

In 1995, Jenn and I both subscribed to a mailing list for fans of a certain band. I lived in Cali and she was in NC, so it's likely we never would have met were it not for the internet. I began publication of a fanzine for the band and she volunteered to be the East Coast correspondent. That summer, we met in person for the first time, to see the final shows of the tour. And even though our love for that band has long since faded, we are still friends, with many adventures together since that first road trip. (I just tallied all the different states we've traveled to together and it came to an astonishing - and lucky! - 13.)

Eugene, Oregon - 1995

Cleveland, Ohio - 2003

 Boston, Massachusetts - 2011

She's been there for me through pregnancy and parenthood (I left her a voicemail during my labor that she saved for years) and I was her maid matron of honor. Now she has two young sons and a busy life but when L was diagnosed, she was one of the first people I called, on my way home to grab clothes for our hospital stay. And she has been with us every step of the way since then, from asking me to explain what the hell 'basal' and 'bolus' mean, to running in a marathon last year to raise money ($2,675!!) and awareness for diabetes research.

Cincinnati, Ohio - 2001

 Chapel Hill, North Carolina - 2004

 Cincinnati, Ohio - 2011

She's coming to town in a couple of weeks to celebrate my birthday and run another (half) marathon, for which she's been training and raising money for months. Every time she posts a running update on Facebook, she includes a link to an article or video about type 1 diabetes. Sometimes I feel she's a bigger advocate for L than I am! :) 

She has already reached her fundraising goal through the generosity of her friends and family (and from as far away as Ireland, HOLLA). But did that stop her? Nooooo. She's also donating 100% of all sales in her Etsy shop this month to JDRF. So, if you're the kind of person who likes to hang pretty things on their walls like so:

 

then please visit her Etsy shop and see if anything strikes your fancy. My daughter's busted pancreas and I thank you.

 

It was an unlikely friendship at the start, but it has stood the test of time, even though we've never actually lived in the same city (or state, for that matter). We initially came together over one specific interest, but our relationship evolved well beyond what either of us could have dreamed in 1995, and now I marvel at how different things would be if she wasn't in my life. I have a feeling a lot of you guys reading this have experienced something similar. ;) Big love to all those internet friends that become invaluable friends. Especially my friend Jenn.