How Can You Mend A Broken Heart? (a helpful step-by-step approach)

A very dear friend to Mister Man and I had her heart broken by a boy. (Well actually, if truth be told, she's doing really well and is taking the high road and having an excellent attitude about it all , and not being NEARLY as upset as her friends! In truth, I wanted to share with you the way in which Mister Man not only stepped up to the plate, but batted one right out of the park. And in the interest of drama, I had to frame it - well - dramatically....!!)

So yesterday, an email came in saying that - well how does one put this delicately? - that... someone had broken up with our beloved and beautiful friend, the Dooders. And as her friends and family-away-from-home, it is our OFFICIAL job to RALLY around her. And rally we did. I offered to egg a certain house belonging to a certain boy, if that was what needed to be done (though the boy in question DOES live in an apartment tower in the west end, so I'm not sure how I might have accomplished such a childish act of revenge.... but I would have figgered it out ...)

But really, the most important thing to offer in such a situation is solace. And solace can be found in the following:

• a shoulder upon which to cry
• a beverage of one's choice
• a box of tissue
• warm arms for a big hug
• a dozen eggs (just in case. And hey - if the egging doesn't happen, you could always whip up an omlette or something!)
• a set big ears that are good with the listening etc. etc.
• another beverage of one's choice
• red meat and red wine
• a little sugar love....

But I had a Board meeting last night so wasn't going to be home until around 9. And this made me fret. So I called Mister Man and said "Oh NOES Mister Man, OH NOES!" and he was all "don't worry, it's taken care of".

Mister Man had called our friend in need, and said "pop around for a visit". And when she showed up, he was pulling a filet mignon he'd purchased for his own self from the oven. So he opened a bottle of this (FYI - a brilliant wine - currently my fave. It's what I like to call "a big bottomed wine")

And then he shared his steak with her! Let me assure you, this is a massive gesture of love, because, generous though he is, Mister Man is NOT one to go around volunteering to SHARE HIS FOOD! And when they'd finished the wine, he poured her a beer. And then he offered her one of the girlie beverages he'd purchased for the household. And he opened a bag of Trader Joe's popcorn so that they could snack as they hung out. (And please, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that drinking alcohol and eating is ALWAYS the way to negotiate one's way through troubled water. But once in a while, there is nothing wrong with a little indulgence!)

And when I came home, the two of them were sitting on the couch, looking sated and calm. And the blues had turned to a mellow shade of purple and our friend was being very philosophical and mending.

And THEN, Mister Man pulled THIS out of the fridge.

And that's when I knew that he was the man for me because he knew EXACTLY how to help mend a broken heart. Here are 2 photos of the Cherry Garcia framed by Mister Man and the Doodler. (Though you might not be able to see her soft-focus self, I can tell you she's giving the camera the finger. This is a sure sign that she is on the mend.)

Mister Man, you're a keeper.