Elaine
Elaine and I, in a way, were soul sisters. She was a tall, thin, strawberry blond. What we had in common was our self-doubt. I had a quirky nose, crooked jaw, and an awkward smile. I had a nice figure. I was tall and blond with beautiful green eyes I am told. But I never felt pretty. Elaine had an over sized smile that made her eyes almost a slit when she smiled. She claimed her laugh was annoying. She never liked her teeth, so she covered her mouth when she smiled. We had our dislike for our own looks in common.
Elaine was a single mom to a teenage boy. She worked with me for two years until I moved on. My biggest regret with Elaine is a failed friendship. She made every effort to befriend me outside of work. She wanted to hang out and get together. But we were at different places in our lives. I had two children under five, she had a teenage son. I was married, she was single. I was her boss and she was one of several employees in my charge. We both liked to crochet and sew. We both loved to walk and we liked similar music. I didn’t realize back then how valuable friendships were.
I came from a large family which kept me pretty busy. I never took time to make friends with those outside of the family. If I could go back to that time I would have valued her attempts at friendship. She actually was very frustrated with me for not accepting her invites to hang out. Making friends is not easy, especially since the inundation of social media. If you have the opportunity to connect with people, appreciate it. Treasure the bond with another human being who isn’t a blood relative or a spouse. As the years go on, friendships are fleeting. Build relationships with purpose and if you are young, hang on to valuable friendships throughout life.
Fabulous, Fun, and Frustrating, People 
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