My Friend's Desk

This is the desk of a good friend.  She left today for New York.  As I was walking around her apartment over the weekend for the last time, I saw her neatly packed boxes filled with the things she would take and stacks of the things she would leave behind.

Her sunny bungalow apartment in the Echo Park hills is one of my favorite places in LA. Honestly, it's one of my favorite places anywhere.  Sometimes the kids and I would meet up with Aimee after work and hike Elysian Park.  We'd climb down a giant staircase and head to her apartment where we'd talk, cook, or, if you're under five years of age, make a giant loop from the bedroom to the bathroom to the kitchen to the living room over and over.

I didn't really need a desk, but when my friend said she was going to leave it behind, I knew I'd find a place for it.  When I look at the desk, I am reminded of time spent in her comfortable little apartment, where it stood in her living room and where she neatly placed her invitations and newspapers.  I am reminded of the time hiking in Runyon Canyon when Aimee, Eric and I came across a tree with five owls perched on the leafless branches.  As we walked closer, each took flight.

The desk is a tangible reminder.  Thank you for the gift, Aimee.