Red Skittles

We all have our favorites, mine are red, red candies, usually indicating cherry or strawberry, I love them and will avoid all other colors unless absolutely desperate for a sugar fix. Purple are always a safe bet, but there is just something about the reds.

My friend Lacey knows this about me and for 12 years she has been giving me the reds. Red “Mike & Ikes,” Red “Skittles,” red everything. She sorts through the package during poker night and slides them my way with a huge smile on her face. She knows I love the reds, I assumed she didn’t like the reds; why else would someone sort through and get rid of them?

This has gone on for 12 years; it started at Ray’s Food Place. We were both in high school and I recall sitting at the break room table, talking about everything and nothing, and getting handed “reds.” She would even leave them on a post-it note at the video counter with my name on it. We lived together for a short time in Eugene, Oregon, after graduation, and once again I remember that even though I was a horrible roommate she would always hand over the reds. After a four year “break up” of our friendship we reunited, and once again I was being handed reds at every gathering. It wasn’t just that she would give me the reds it was also that she would always have the candy of my choice when I came for a visit, or when she came for a visit.

In my self-centered life I never thought anything of this for over 12 years. Wow… what did I do to deserve this?

I especially wonder this now, what did I do to deserve this? See for 12 years I assumed that Lacey didn’t like the reds. I found out just a few weeks ago that she indeed does, she actually loves the reds too, although her favorite are green, reds are a quick second. So what would make a person give up one of their favorite types of candies? I don’t do that, I’m too selfish; in fact I will dig through the candy jar at my house and pick out the reds before anyone else can get to them! My own husband and daughter… yes that’s right I will take candy away from a little girl… if it’s red! I think I have even told my daughter that the reds are yucky? Wow, I might just be a terribly horrible person!

Not Lacey though. She has selflessly given me the reds for over a decade, and when I asked her why, her response was simply, “because I want you to have the best.” Wow… yeah make a pregnant lady cry why don’t you!

To me this is incredible; this small, but HUGE gesture is just an amazing act of love. Could someone really think enough of me to do something like this? I know my husband loves me, my mom, my sisters, my friends, I know they love me, but to have someone say “because I want you to have the best,” well that’s just amazing. More importantly, to have them silently prove it for over 12 years, receiving no gratitude, or even acknowledgement…priceless.

I can only pray that my daughter will one day be blessed with a friend who will make her want to be a better person. But even if that never happens, I can guarantee that I will aim to teach her how to be that friend to someone else.

Thank you Lacey for being that friend, and for showing me how to be one in return, I don’t deserve you and I certainly don’t deserve the reds.