Jen, 

Jen, Unice, and Amy

Happy Birthday! 

I feel so blessed to have you as a friend and I must remember to thank Amy Kramer for introducing us all those years ago. I have said it often and I think even to you directly that I think there are certain friends in life that you just reach a point where even if you don’t see each other or talk very often, they are so close to you and such a part of you that when you do get a chance to catch up, you just pick right up where you left off. I think that’s true of us. 

I confess that I struggled a bit with writing this because I couldn’t think of any crazy stories to retell or trips we took. But I realized that it didn’t matter. Life and friendships are defined not so much by the grand adventures, but in the day-to-day living. And that’s what I remember most about the time we lived together in DC. Just hanging out – at your place, at Amy’s, at my apartment. Going to parties. Going out to eat. Going to the movies. Gossiping and griping. Celebrating and commiserating. Just the regular stuff that good friends do.

Jen in her 20'sI did end up coming up with a goofy thing to write though, which you will find below. You see, I still have our “Neiman & Unitunes” mix tape! So I tried to pull something together using the song titles. Some of it is a stretch and overall it reads pretty weird, but I thought you might enjoy it. I’m a little embarrassed to show to anyone but you, so I’m just not going to think about the possibility that anyone else may read it. I have to say to our credit that most of the music holds up! 

Lots of love, 

Unice 

A poorly pieced together essay based on the “Neiman & Unitunes” Mixed Tape Titles Jen, Unice, and Amy

I recall we spent a lot of time trying to find Two Princes for ourselves. Certainly we’d talk about it for hours (just go ahead now). And when I felt like I was Walking on Broken Glass or had another Piece of My Heart ripped out (or so it seemed then), I could always count on you to tell me to Stop! In the Name of Love and think it over. That I deserved Respect. 

Now we’re old married people so let’s Save it for Later. Most of the guys were easily the Mayor of Simpleton anyway. We said I am Over You and learned to Enjoy the Silence. Well, maybe not the silence since I seem to recall many marathon conversations about who knows what now. Certainly we learned to enjoy the Freedom and came to feel that  Groove is in the Heart. 

Instant Karma finally caught up with us and though sometimes I thought I was more likely to marry The Man on the Moon than a real person, he

re we are with husbands, kids, and houses. We thought we would Never Die Young and spent hours discussing what we would be When I Grow Up. Have we now grown up? My body, kids, and mortgage tell me yes, but when I picture you and me together I still see two 20-somethings. 

Turning 40 is a milestone. If we hadn’t gone through all those Changes in our 20’s I don’t think we would be the people we are today. I’m not trying to be Cruel to Be Kind. We’re far from over the [Solsbury] Hill and I Don’t Dream It’s Over. This is the Time of the Season for celebrating, not The Bitterest Pill. 

We may sometimes seem to live a Million Miles Away from each other, but you are close to my heart, always.

Happy Birthday!