Five Things That Made Me Smile (April 2024 Edition)

Yes, I needed to lead with Justin Timberlake and this meme.

Yes, it’s cheesy.

Yes, I am ok with that.

There was a lot of activity in April.

And lots of smiles.

In this post, I decided to focus on one gem of a human who visited in April.

So, let’s get into it.

Friendship

Jessica + Marijana. Podgora, Croatia (2024)

In April, one of my dearest friends came for a week-long visit. And it made me smile - a lot!

Jessica and I have known each other since we were 15.

We are now 48.

Lots of history. Lots of love.

Add a few moments of frustration over the years.

Because: growing pains.

But always love.

I met Jessica when we were fifteen.

We had a few things in common.

Two to be exact.

We went to the same high school. And we were children of Croatian immigrants.

At fifteen, that was a good start.

Thirty-three years later, we are still friends.

The two things we had in common may have brought us together.

But it certainly wasn’t going to keep us in friendship mode.

There had to be more. And there has been.

A lot more.

I feel fortunate to have Jess in my life.

She is brilliant, creative, and hilarious.

She is that and so much more.

Jessica has consistently pushed me.

And I have inconsistently listened.

She has said things like this:

I SEE YOU. YOU NEED TO SEE YOU. AND I WILL REMIND YOU OF YOUR GREATNESS EVERY SINGLE CHANCE I GET.

I WILL ALSO CALL YOU OUT ON YOUR BULLSHIT. ESPECIALLY IF I SEE YOU DESTROYING YOURSELF OVER SOMETHING -BECAUSE YOU DO KNOW BETTER.

No, she wouldn’t yell. The CAP LOCKS were added for dramatic effect.

Jessica is wise.

She seems to believe that I am wise too.

I sometimes have difficulty believing it because doubt and fear take over.

And she knows that.

But she takes the time to help me navigate the doubt and fear.

I value Jessica’s opinion.

And I seek her advice. Often.

When I seek her advice, 8/10 times, her advice sounds something like this:

Mare, you can teach yourself that thing. Google it. Look it up on YouTube.

And usually, she’s right.

She’s not trying to shrug me off.

She’s trying to remind me that I have agency and can figure things out on my own.

But…

I sometimes have difficulty believing it because doubt and fear take over.

And she knows that.

But she takes the time to help me navigate the doubt and fear.

Picked up one Jessica at the Split Airport (2024)

Jessica and I haven’t lived on the same continent for over 15 years, so much of our friendship has been nurtured over the phone.

But because of that ongoing commitment to nurturing our friendship, I felt as if no time had passed since we saw each other last (two years ago in Spain).

I was excited to spend time with this gem of a human in April.

I was excited to have her witness what happens when I listen to her. But even more importantly, what happens when I start listening to myself.

Don’t get me wrong—doubt and fear still rear their ugly heads; that doesn’t just go away. But these days, I am better at managing both.

It has taken friendship (many friendships), therapy (um, of course), consistency (good habits), and lots of love and patience to get me here.

And here has become such a special place.

And I am glad she got to see it.

Road Trip Video

Jessica’s recording of one of our drives along the Adriatic coast.

Wine For Days

Jessica’s cousin gave her two 5-litre bottles of homemade wine.

She could not travel back to Spain with the bottles.

So the wine stayed with me.

Of course, that made me smile.

Twins

This look happened without intention.

It made me smile.

Jessica, The Photographer

In 2013, Jessica took a series of photos of me that always make me smile.

Below is one of those photos.

Also, while she may not be as active in her work as a photographer these days, check out her website to see some of her beautiful work: Photography — Jessica & Neil Creative Studio (jessicaandneil.com)

Photo by Jessica Marasovic. Me in Valencia, Spain. 2013.

And that’s a wrap on April and the moments that made me smile - the Jessica edition.

Thanks for reading.

Now go and call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.

I have a feeling it might make you and them smile.