Last Easter after dinner and a few mimosas, my friend Jeff Lewis said something that gave all of us a serious case of the bellyaches. "You know eventually, we're going to have to rent a hall to accommodate all of Michael's exes." I keep thinking about it. Should I feel blessed to have experienced so much love in my life, or completely bitter for possessing a Teflon heart?Well of course I feel blessed. I mean let's face it. The fact that I have remained close friends with almost every person I've had a significant relationship with over the last 25 years is rather extraordinary, don't you think? It's kind of a running joke amongst all of us. You know whats even funnier? They've even formed their own friendships with each other, completely independent from me! But it's not just funny, its also tender. And dear to me. The dynamics are so rare and unusual, that I'm sure we could volunteer to take part in a case study or something.
A few years ago I was at the Halloween parade in Chicago with Jeffrey, Kerry, and Jim. A friend leaned in close as he was walking by us and said "How nice. It's the Ex Boyfriends Club." I thought to myself, "Yeah. It is nice."
Its a comfort to know that you don't have to stop loving someone just because the scope of your relationship changes. That a change of heart, or direction can be forgiven because you have treated each other with kindness and respect. That the kinship that brought you together needn't diminish, but grow.
I don't know where I'd be without these guys. They've taught my heart so many things . Mostly that Teflon hearts, have steel cores- and never wear out.
I am grateful to have all of you in my life.
You were my lovers. You are my friends.
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