Sleepovers

I was 10 years old sitting on the front steps in front of Mr. Redfield's 4th grade classroom. Sitting there, I was completely devastated because my oldest brother was in the hospital having had a horrible accident the weekend before. In my sadness, a little girl took notice and came up and introduced herself as Ilana and asked me for my phone number so that we could get together and play sometime. And then she left. In that moment right there on those steps I made a best friend for life. Of course, I did think she was completely crazy. I mean, who comes up and just asks for your phone number, just like that? But without that moment of gumption on her part, we would have missed out on so many other crazy times that we've had together throughout the years.

After that we became inseparable. Over the years, we grew up together going to Paradise Valley Mall every weekend looking for just the right outfit, watching Beaches and Clueless on VHS, eating mint chocolate chip ice cream while talking about cute boys, painting our toenails and having sleepovers at each others house almost every weekend. My parents still roll their eyes over the nights of sleep they lost listening to our loud and uncontrollable giggles. Ilana has such a roaring laughter, that just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. Although, at 2 am in the morning, I'm sure my parents were doing nothing of the sort. :)

Way before cancer took her hair, she decided to take it off herself in high school 'just because.' I couldn't believe it! She looked just as beautiful, if not more, with a buzz cut than she did with a short cropped hairdo. To this day, she's still the only woman I know that can pull off a buzz cut and make it look DAMN GOOD!!! Okay, back to the story....So, Senior year we go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and she is rocking her new 'do. We're walking down the street and left and right we keep hearing all these locals yelling out, "Pelona, pelona, pelona!!!" Completely baffled and a little scared, we run into the nearest bar (safe place, right?!) and ask the bartender who also speaks English, what profanities they're yelling at us, and he says "Baldy!" So, from then on Ilana was Pelona.

When Ilana called me up to tell me she had Stage 4 Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma Cancer it was as if she was calling me to say she had just caught the flu and that she'd be down and out for a few days. But that's just Ilana. She is the most upbeat, optimistic, fun-loving person I've ever known and that was her way of rolling all of those amazing qualities into one massive bowling ball to knock out this cancer.

In August, I was able to come out for a few days (I live in Denver now) and visit with her while she was still over at Banner in Sun City. And in true Pelona-Shyla style, we had a weekend of sleepovers. Granted, this time it was in a hospital and there was absolutely NO sneaking out allowed, but we still managed to have a pretty good time. One day I went to the store to get the supplies to paint Ilana's toenails. When it came time to paint her toenails, she starts barking orders at me as to how short to file her nails and how to paint the piggies! I mean come on, you're in a pretty compromising position here to be so bossy! Geez! :P

That weekend, Ilana was feeling so crummy with stomach pains, diarrhea and nausea. It turns out the poor girl had been running around with a bowel infection. And she kept saying how she was sorry that she "wasn't much fun." Really? I think being sick!....with cancer!...in the hospital!...warrants you a 'get out of jail free' card!!

I also got to meet her two precious boys, Matthew and Andrew. Oh my gosh! Andrew is the sweetest baby and so full of wonder. His eyes are always open so wide ready to take in each and every new thing. And Matthew is constantly exploring and engaging, he's just so fascinating to watch. They are each so unbelievably beautiful in every way. I'm in love.

Ben is doing an extraordinary job being Mr. Mom, he even served me homeade cookies while I was visiting. I mean, seriously, when does he have time to make cookies?! I was able to spend some time with him too, probably more than ever before, and it made me just admire him and appreciate him beyond words for what he's doing for our dear Ilana. One night, he stayed with Ilana and I at the hospital late into the night just talking and hanging out with us. Eventually, Ilana had to kick him out so she could go to sleep. He just loves her so much, and I know he missed her while I was staying with her at the hospital.

It's crazy to know what we do now and that something truly amazing happened that day on the steps of Mr. Redfield's class. I can't imagine not having Ilana, my partner in crime, by my side throughout the past 22 years. That one single moment in time that she asked me for my phone number changed my life forever, for the better.

There is one more thing that Ilana and I used to do on sleepover, but it's going to stay our little secret. But I think it's safe to say that, Pelona, hands down....YOU WIN!!! ;)