Monday, September 8, 2008

I'll Be There For You

So. This week, we're talking about friendship. When I began to think about what my friends mean to me, and how they've affected my life--the song, "I'll Be There For You," by the Rembrandts, immediately came to mind.

This song was originally (and specifically) written as the theme song for hit TV show, Friends. It was never meant to be released as a single, but due to public demand, the Rembrandts recorded, and released, a full-length version. And that version hit the Pop Top 20.

Was I a Friends fan? You bet. Even now, years after the show has gone off the air, I remember the friendships depicted in the show. And "I'll Be There For You" sums those relationships up perfectly. But really, I think the lyrics are a perfect representation of ALL good friendships--no matter where you are in your life, your age, or how the world changes around us.

The song opens with:

So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke, and your love life's DOA
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
And it hasn't been your day, your week, your month,
or even your year
but...
I'll be there for you
When the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you
Like I've been there before
I'll be there for you
'Cuz you're there for me too...

If you're like me, just reading the opening verse and the chorus brings the song back into your memory in a flash, but if you want to read the rest of the lyrics, you can HERE. But what I really want to talk about is the meaning of this song--at least how I interpret it.

Which is how, exactly? With good friends, you travel through the ups and downs of life together. Sometimes you laugh together, sometimes you cry. Other times you support, and at times, you lean--needing their support. You plan, you commiserate, you argue, you make up, and you go on. To do it all again. Over and over.

I'm so lucky to have so many real, true, amazing friends in my life. Here's a shout out to them: To Lisa, Natalie, Kim, Connie, Traci, Denise, and Deborah: I love you girls, more than I know how to say.

Thank you for crying with me, for supporting me, for trusting me with your tears. Thank you for laughing with me, for cheering me on, for gabbing, for morning coffee, for late night kicks in the butt, for sharing favorite TV shows, songs, movies, books, recipes, and everything else.

Thank you for knowing when I need an ear, and for knowing when I need to be left alone. Thank you for seeing me in a way I don't see myself, and sharing that view with me. Thank you for all you've already done, and for all you will do as we continue to navigate life together--arm in arm--as friends.

And as the song says, "I'll be there for you. 'Cuz you've been there for me too."

To my new friends, The Novel Girls: Carolyn, Jillian, Lesley, Lisa, and Maureen--I feel oh-so-lucky to walk arm-in-arm with each one of you, as we begin a new path--together.

Let's celebrate friendship!

AND-Over at my blog today, we're also celebrating. It's my dad's birthday, and in honor of HIM, I'm having my first contest EVER. Come check it out!

P.S. For any Blogger experts out there--why does my spacing change all the freaking time? If anyone knows how to fix this formatting issue, I'd be thrilled to hear it, because it's driving me CRAZY! Basically, what happens is, I type out the post, I save it, I preview it, and the spacing is all garbled up. So I fix it. And sometimes it's okay, sometimes it isn't, and I do it again.

19 comments:

Liane Gentry Skye said...

Ohhhh Happy Birthday to your Dad. Word up is all the best folks were born in September. (I'm on the 22nd. HINT!)

BIG HUG!

Liane (aka Traci with an I!)

Anonymous said...

You are so sweet, Tracy. I'm so glad we're friends. And happy birthday to your dad!! Hugs, Lisa

Anonymous said...

You're not supposed to make me cry, much less at work and early in the morning! WTF?

I love you too!

*hugs*

Happy b-day to your dad :)

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

I love you, Tracy! *squeeeeeeze*

It's very rare for me to click so completely with a person, so fast. I appreciate everything about you!

As for the blogger spacing thing--draft it in "Edit HTML" instead of in "Compose." I learned basic HTML coding (italics, bold, links) so I don't need to use the Compose editor, but when I need to, I type it all out, then go into Compose to do colors and size. Then the spacing seems more preserved.

Tracy Madison said...

You guys are the bestest friends a girl could ever have. And Fyre (Kim), it's okay to cry! :)

Nat--thanks. I'll try that next week.

Love to all of you!

Deborah Nemeth said...

Tracy,
Great post, and thanks so much! The reason you have so many friends is because you are a true friend to us. Thanks for being there for me when I need it.
Deborah Nemeth

Jillian Cantor said...

Great post to start off friendship week, Tracy!

I am so happy about our new friendship :-).

And boy, do I miss the show Friends. Absolutely one of my all time favorites.

Tracy Madison said...

Deborah, you rock! Deborah is the person who mainly helped me get the first draft of A Taste of Magic into shape, and I couldn't have done it nearly as well without here.

Tracy Madison said...

Jillian--thanks! I miss the show too. I'm looking forward to reading all the posts this week!

Lesley Livingston said...

So here a thing...

Haven't heard that song in ages. Of course, having read this post, it's been running through my head all day. Pop into the drugstore at lunch, thinking that my mental muzak is getting awfully loud when I realize that - no no - the song is actually playing on the PA system.

Do I take that as a good omen for the new group of friends? Hell yes!
*grin*

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your Dad!

Anonymous said...

Great Blog! Gratest Show Ever! could it have BEEN any funnier? Great Friends! I have a few of those too. They have changed my life in ways they will never Know. Fyre has helped me become more of the person I want to be, and accept myself the way I am and even convinced me that it's not so bad. I Love her and I hope she Knows it! And You Tracy my new friend brighten everyday and give the chance to write something everyday even if it is just a blog comment Thanks!

Denise Lynn said...

Aren't you a sweetie. More than happy to kick butt at 3am. Any time - day...night...whatever. I'm still so thrilled for you and glad you stuck it out.

Happy Bday to your dad.

Now get to work.

Take care,

Denise

Tracy Madison said...

Lesley! I love that as a sign, and yep, I'll take it as one too.

Sheila, you're such a doll, and I'm so pleased to get to know you. We'll have to thank Kim for getting us together! :)

Denise, you are such an amazing friend and mentor. And it's been (and is) sooo appreciated.

For those who don't know, Denise Lynn writes for Harlequin Historicals AND Nocturne. Plus, she creates pretty awesome book trailers. Such a creative lady!

Carolyn McTighe said...

That was a wonderful and very touching post. I am so happy to be a part of this whole process. I know that no matter what goes on in all of our lives and careers, we are building some very beautiful friendships along the way. As Joey says, "How you do'in?"

Maureen Lipinski said...

Tracy--try writing your post in Word and then pasting it into blogger--that's what I usually do and the spacing turns out OK. (Of course, now that I said that, my post tomorrow will go all kinds of spacing crazy.)

Also? Just wanted to echo all of the writerly-friendship love on our new blog!

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Actually, if you copy and paste from Word, it will insert all kinds of other funky formatting into it that you might not be able to see but other people can. That happened to me in my early Blogger days.

The principal is sound, but use Notepad instead.

Tracy Madison said...

Carolyn, lol, I love the Joey reference. He made me laugh more than any of the others, I think!

Nat and Maureen: I think as far as Blogger goes, next week I'll try Notepad, and if that doesn't help, I'll suck it up and deal with HTML. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Tracy,
I loved your post. I'm a huge Friends fan from way back and I love the re-runs too!Thanks for kicking off the week and for all the sentimental things you said. Hope we meet sooon!

Tracy Madison said...

Lisa-it'd be great to meet, wouldn't it? Maybe sometime in the future we can plan a TNG getaway weekend. Ooh, my mind is already thinking up fun stuff, lol.