T is for Terrific

Today is my best friend's birthday!

I first met T when we were cast together in our local community theater's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." He played Joseph and I played Potiphar's Wife; my introduction to him was, "oh hi! I'll be the one ravishing you later!" Part of our tango dance included me shoving his face in my cleavage and a love was born.

We've been best friends for two years and roommates for six months. He is one of the most talented people that I know and I've been privileged to be able to work with and sing with him on a few occasions. He is a wonderful teacher, as evidenced by the time he takes with me and by the merits of his students.

He entered my life at exactly the right time -- I was transitioning from one job to the other and was worried about leaving my friends in Houston to move to a smaller town. To be honest, our blossoming friendship was one of the main reasons that I pursued the job in the smaller town so passionately. It's not very often that people find someone that they bond with so quickly and intensely and I didn't want to let that go.

In the past few years, we've gone through major ups and downs -- we both were cast as leads in shows at our theater, I started grad school, he had a significant break-up, we moved in together to make our transformation into Will and Grace complete. Since we've started living together, we've had minor battles, mainly over the spice cabinet (because he's a damn dirty Cajun with an iron tongue), but we're thriving.

I don't know where I would be without T. He has enriched my life in many ways, starting with providing me with the love of his dog, Wolfgang. He is funny, thoughtful, caring, and loyal. He is supportive of me but not to the point where he doesn't call me out for being ridiculous. He is the perfect laidback yin to my melodramatic yang. Everyone should be lucky enough to have a friend like T -- but get your own, I don't like to share.

Happy birthday, T! I love you and I'm sorry in advance for eating all of your birthday cake!