I never tire of hearing these 5 words......

YOU LOST SO MUCH WEIGHT!

Yes, I will drink to that!!! 

Yes, friends, even 6+ years later, hearing those words can make my day.
The other day, I ran into someone who I haven't seen since our daughters were in middle school together.
In fact, we realized that the last time we saw each other---it was September 12, 2001--the day after the horrific events of 9-11 and the day she and her family of 3  moved across the country for her husband to take over his family business.   After that, we sent cards and emails until one day in 2004 her email bounced back.  It all ended there.....
They lived in our neighborhood for a smidgen of time but during that time we became fast friends---we went to ceramic classes together, we had each other over for parties and holidays and we shared many glasses of wine, chatting about life and children and marriage and friendships and cooking....
It's hard to imagine that we lost touch and that I didn't know that her husband took up with another woman--leaving her devastated and alone or that she had remarried a great guy she met while on a singles cruise and that she moved to Ohio or that her daughter is getting married to a hometown boy in December (the reason for her visit to Pittsburgh).....those were things I should have known.  And, she should have known that I had weight loss surgery and that I lost 115 pounds.  But, none of that happened.
But, now we both know it all.
A one hour conversation in the middle of the mall was all we needed......   
I'm still smiling.