A Tele-Graham From Me

When I look at the above picture, my heart super-soars. You see, I have made a whole new family of friends in the last two months (though, you can tell who the two Chatfield girls are in the picture). Ranging from a young teenager to the mother of a young teenager, the Grahams have enriched my life through offering me a ton of love.

Graham is the maiden name of my dear friend Kelsae; you might recognize her name from my posts about my friend Mike's stroke or the sweet mohawks I gave my family. I recognize Kelsae from her fabulous friendship and her kick-A freshness. Her family has come down from Idaho to support her and Mike; they all have opened their arms to each person who loves Kels and Mike. I am included in that group.

Roslyn, Kelsae's mom, has been down here in Utah since early November, which means I have had the opportunity to speak with her often. I could tell instantly that she's a kind soul, but I was amazed at how irreverent her humor is—and I love it! She has been constantly wonderful to my children, extremely complimentary to my wardrobe, and unendingly kind in a situation that has been taxing to her. Roslyn is dedicated to her husband, so I can't imagine how difficult it has been to be apart from him for all this time. Her business Romantic Marriages helps wives make an effort to romance their husbands, which I am more and more intrigued by—they offer ideas for dates, prompts for kind words, and encouragement to make your marriage stronger. Roslyn has been an inspiration to me and a fantastic support to Kels.

The rest of the Grahams have been similarly charming and great. Kels has three younger siblings who have become good friends to me. In fact, on the day Mike had his stroke, Kelsae's brother Callan gave me a soundbite that I will never forget. While I was waiting for Caleb to come home from work so I could rush to be by Kelsae's side at the hospital, I was putting things in my bag that could possibly help. I can't even remember what I grabbed, but when I was trying to distract Kels during Mike's surgery, I showed her each random thing I had in my purse. I pulled out some coupons for Wendy's cheeseburgers and Callan said, "I never pay full price for burgers in a crisis." I felt so silly for bringing those coupons, but I was glad for that light-hearted moment. That is one of many good memories I have made with the Grahams.

For those who are keeping up at home, Mike's recovery is going so well. He "woke up" from his coma after about three weeks, and since then, he has made vast improvements from the doctors' expected results. At Kelsae's baby shower last night, I got the chance to talk to him and his father on my own. Mikey still can't get his mouth to say the words his brain thinks, but he is able to communicate with head nods and hand gestures. Come to think of it, that's how he and I talked before his stroke—I'd chat his ear off and he would listen and smile. He told me that his immobile right side can hurt a lot; for some reason, I thought that since he couldn't move anything on his right side, he couldn't feel anything there either! Mike is preparing to help with his son, who should make his appearance anytime now, through practicing changing diapers with his one good hand. And his house is all decked out with helpful rails and things to help him move around easier.

Speaking with Mike made my night because speaking with him has always been fun for me. Just because he's had a stroke does not mean he has changed inside—he is still one of the best guys I know.

But the baby shower was all about Kelsae. She is a punk rock goddess in my eyes, and I can't wait to see how cute her hard-core fetus is going to be. I love that girl, and everyone else is just gravy.