Me and Mollie....Mollie and Me

I remember walking up to Copeland's back in 1999 for my first day of work. It was the first time I had gotten a job on my own (without my cousin Paige's help). It was scary. Actually, I was terrified. My comfort zone was somewhere else far, far away. On top of that, I had a uniform. A uniform I had no idea how to work. It consisted of a tuxedo shirt, a long black skirt, a bow tie, and a cummerbund. Yes, I know. As I'm walking up to the door, I'm obviously struggling with the bow tie and cummerbund. It was all wrong. A girl who looked about my age, came out the front door and pulled me to the side of the building, and worked her magic on me. No fuss, no embarrassing moment, just her recollecting her first day, and what a nightmare that uniform was to work for the first time. By the time she was finished, I looked normal...which meant that I looked just as silly as she did.

This was the first time I met, Mollie Nobile. Little did either of us know what was about to begin.

It didn't take long for us to become close friends. We just fit. We had a lot of similarities, and many differences. One of the things I loved about her, is that it didn't matter our differences. Our love for one another was unconditional. She became my family.

When I first met her, she was dating a guy that she had been dating for awhile. I remember one of the first times I actually hung out with them, she rode with me....I always liked to drive, so she let me. And there was a bit of an altercation between her and her boyfriend....feelings were hurt, mean things were done. I on the other hand snapped. As she sitting by the tire of my car, crying.....I found myself beating her boyfriends chest telling him to pick on me if he needed to pick on someone. Wow....the bond was formed.

She wasn't scared of anyone...she was scared of the things...but not people.

And of course, Mollie and Beth in 1999 versus Mollie and Beth in 2010....very different. I can't even begin to put everything down in order....in story form.... so this may not flow.... but it's how I think of Mollie.

I can't remember which year, but it was in the early 2000's....Mollie became part of our family vacation tradition. There, she stole the hearts of all my relatives. Her smile radiating in the sun...just so happy to be...so happy to be a part of it.

Many of us will never forget a particular Halloween spent with Mollie. We went to the 13th Gate. Bless her heart, she was terrified. She ended up running through the entire thing, nearly knocking down a man on crutches. Tears running down her cheeks....as she got to the end she was grabbing people and saying... ARE YOU REAL??? ARE YOU REAL????

I love that woman.

I remember when I lived with my dad....there was a bit of a family altercation (which I won't dredge up :)), but can I tell you, it didn't take her but 10 minutes to be at my house, and cradle me in her arms as I cried. She gave me comfort. She would tell me her own stories so she could relate to how I was feeling. She would tell me it was okay how I was feeling....and not okay what was happening. She wouldn't judge. If I loved them, if they were important to me...she would keep her ill feelings in the back....

Mollie could be told anything....we were each others secret keepers. She considered me "hers". That still makes me smile.

I remember when I called to tell her I was engaged. She gasped, let out a shriek, and hung up on me. She was upset. She didn't like the idea of me being taken away from her.

On my bachelorette party, I remember there were 4 special girls with me...and she was one of them. One thing we all did well, was to get in silly arguments, and run off crying. At one point, I remember running down the strip, in her shoes, crying, with each of the girls stringing behind after me.... The night ended with Mollie locking me and Paige out of our room. I can't say that I didn't deserve it....but I can't say I remember either.

She also helped me through the stages of my divorce. She told me it was okay to leave if I wasn't happy...that I didn't have to stay for everyone else. That I would never have to go through it alone.

I had a dance recital back in 2007.... she was the only one I invited.... it was last minute that I decided to invite someone...and she was there.... cheering me on, filming me, giggling with me....

November 2008, my dog, Daisy, had gotten out the house....and I was distraught because she had been gone for quite some time before I had even realized. I was a bad mother. I was hyperventilating. Lindsey was worried about me....so about midnight, on a work night, in comes Mollie. Lindsey had called her to tell her how upset I was.... she came to comfort me. She was so good at that.

I can't even count how many times we had movie night...wine night....time to breathe and cry night. She would come over...in the pj's....we would lay out on the couch....on came the tv....or out came the books...or there we would go pecking away at our laptops. We wouldn't even have to say anything. The purpose of these get togethers were so that we could receive comfort from the other. I'm glad that I was able to give her the comfort that she gave to me.

And what a riot...instant entertainment. A couple years ago, maybe less...we went to Tigerland...if you know Mollie, you know that was her place. Every once in awhile she was able to twist my arm and make me go. Well, she always liked to come over to my house and then raid my closet....which actually made me feel good because this girl had the best clothes....me? not so much....at all.... On this particular night, she had borrowed a pair of my jeans. Well, she was going to see someone at JL's.....but there was another girl there to see the same person. As the bar was shutting down, Mollie grabbed me and seemed irritated and off we went to the car. Now as all of JL's is leaving..... Mollie slips on a piece of gravel....on flat land....and manages to bite the dust like I've never seen before in my life. How does one tumble on flat land? And spill all of the contents of said purse? And rip a HUGE hole in my jeans? When is she going to stop rolling??? ........................... I can't believe what had just happened.... I'm in shock, trying not to laugh, trying to pick up her belongings....she's embarrassed but laughing with me.... the guy she went to see.... also passing and laughing..... We got in the car....and laughed the whole way home.

Ever since the hole...those have been my favorite pair of jeans.

I know I'm forgetting things...it's obvious I am....but I will keep writing more and more so that our story makes a little more sense. I just want you to understand our background....our history....our bond.