I see you now. We all see you, Diane. Wow.
There was a time, not long ago, when me and Carol, Joe, Donny, Larissa, Terry, Heather, and most of your family thought the sum total of Diane was taking pics of her Panera meals and posting them with idiotic captions like, “Could this be any more scrumptious?” and “Barely any carbs and totes delish!” or “Look at this yummy Keto love in my bowl!” We’ve left you off the last fifteen group texts, and Donny even wanted to slash your tires so you couldn’t drive to the restaurant anymore. When the incessant pics of your rescue cat “Scruffins,” began, we all made a pact that we’d unfriend you.
Until we saw it.
The filtered picture where the tree leaves were sort of pink and the background a shade of gray and snowy with the sunlight peeking through the cloudy sky. The font was Garamond or Elephant Pro, and the text was overlayed so delicately, with such attention to detail, we were floored. We all sent a group text at the same time, but not including you.
“Powerful!” Joe exclaimed. “Oh my God, she’s amazing,” Carol said. “I can’t even right now,” Heather offered. “So brave,” I told them all.
Some of us are fighting a battle none of us knows about, as Larissa reminded us with her shared post last week, and now this. Wow. It really puts things into perspective, Diane. Who knew you, and all of us, were such strong, vital beings that simply need others to hear us roar? How could any of us have ever believed, without the beauty and power of pink leaves and snow and superimposed words, that we had such strength, such power? Who knew you, of all people, had such depth? Bravo, Diane.
When I last checked, your post had been shared eleven times. Eleven, Diane. I saw your neighbor Mrs. Watley sad emojied it, but she’s on medication. Your sister and twenty-seven others liked it, several co-workers loved it, there were at least four of the care emojis selected, and the comments, Diane. Wow.
“Sharing!”
“Beautiful!”
“Amazing!”
“So true!”
“The BEST!”
“Love this!”
“Stealing!”
“How was that Fuji Apple Chicken Salad?”
What made this so powerful was that you didn’t add any commentary. You just posted this poignant, eloquent meme and didn’t say a word. You didn’t need to. What could you add? What could anyone? Wow, Diane.
I saw that you’d shared the post on Instagram as well, and it has a couple dozen likes. Wow. You deserve all the warm wishes and reactions, Diane. Nobody thought you had this in you, and I mean nobody. Your mom texted me a week earlier asking if I would be willing to throw your laptop into the sea. Your brother messaged that he was changing his last name. Your ex and I are fucking. A lot. But this changes everything.
Wow.
-Captain Soggy
The Soggy Blanket 