friendship

dear longtime friend,

you dont know it yet but im basing an important character in my play on you. the character of the nun/sister named nunez. shes kind. completely understanding. soft in manner in speech. i see her hands moving in the ways that yours do. grasping things gently. holding them with care. no one else does that just like you. i have given nunez your details. she is finally becoming real.

and though youre kind in the face of others peoples caca, i want you to know that i know that you know that you’ve never been a pushover. youre not afraid to share your great intelligence and your wonderful sense of humor. i can write freely that you are a truly caring and mothering human being yet strong and resilient. a caretaker. and caregiver. this is what i see in nunez. she is you. and you are her.

youre also the only person that would go celibate for the love of god! and do so believeably. this chastity vow isnt a character flaw. rather its a merit to your sense of self. sense of commitment. not a mere characterization or sidenote to who you are. a critical component exemplifying your faith and your devotion to the cause. as ive been writing this play ive come to understand what taking the vows of sisters and nuns (yes there is a difference) actually means. youve helped me to do that. thank you.

i couldnt have written the character in the play without you, and trust me i tried.

last night as my mind twirled on and on musing and agonizing about believeable dialogue, i realized something was missing about nurse/sister nunez. i couldnt quite write her lines because i couldnt imagine her immediate reactions to what the mom was serving up in the scenes. or the other sister nurses. or the son. those parts come later.

but now i see her because i see you (with just the tiniest sprinkle of another friends sarcasm, which isnt your style) and its all coming together. aka..

its all coming up rosaries!!!

so thank you, thank you. if it all turns out great ill let you know it was you. until then, your secret is safe with me. and all the people that have the pleasure to know you.

in the meanwhile please settle into the idea that youre a 28 year old bilingual latina ex- missionary to paraguay from texas that now works as a seminary and nurse at st _____ hospital in the suburbs of ______. :) trust me. it works.

love odie and odie mama