an Ode to my Roommate.

For some, the term “Roommate” brings fear and dread to the soul. For others it is a neutral term; neither here nor there, just someone that I live with. For me, however, “Roommate” is a term of cherished endearment. In fact, I cherish the role of a roommate so dearly that my current roommate Pam has had to endure many conversations where I refer to her as "Roommate", and not "Pam". I will always remember the very first time I noticed the difference. Pam and I were ending a phone conversation – checking in for the evening, seeing what was up, laying our grandiose plans for the weekend before us (you know, everything roommates do) – and Pam said, “Thanks Friend.” I responded with, “You’re welcome, Roommate.” Awkward hilarity ensued, as I tried to explain that no, really, Roommate is a good thing! Thankfully, it’s turned into a bit of a running joke in our friendship. We’ve even devised a term (by we, I mean Pam…I’m not quite this clever) – FRATE. FRiendroommATE. Pam is my Frate. I have the best friendroommate in the world.

I suppose my idealistic love of all things Roommate stemmed from my very first one, Alanna; we were both in our freshman year at college in Saskatchewan. A little bird might have told you that from where he sat, we were opposites - I, the quiet girl in old man pants bought at the thrift store; Alanna, the sophisticated and confident girl from Alberta. Alanna had a sense of humour, and it was easy to see: the girl was frickin’ hilarious. I had a sense of humour, I suppose, I just didn’t really know about it. Our names were “haphazardly” pulled from a piece of paper and added to the chart of “who should room with who” – and while our leadership may not have recognized it, our roommateship was (in my opinion) Ordained by the Good Lord Above.

If there was ever a girl that desperately needed to break out of her shell, it was me. If there was ever a friend to be the one to do the breaking, it was Alanna… up until that point in my life, I’d never had a friend that I could laugh that freely with and be so myself around. I had also never had a friend that would stay up until the wee hours of the morning with me so we could dismantle the bathroom stalls while everyone else slept – we squished into the shower stall and giggled like mad until Tara finally came in to use the washroom. Tara screamed, I nearly peed my pants from laughter, and Alanna – the next day – took all the blame when we got in trouble (it’s okay though, because I never told on her when she snuck in late after curfew. So we’re even…). Truthfully, I didn’t know who I was until I met her.

Alanna started a bit of a trend for me. Since her, I’ve cherished and wholeheartedly admired each roommate. My next roommate Laura was the prettiest person I’d ever seen close up and one of the coolest girls I’ve ever met. Stephanie was one of my best friends already, and rooming with her (though challenging at times, right love?) shaped me in new and sweet ways and only served to deepen our friendship in the long run. Erin & Joya gave me one of the most memorable and heart-warming years of my life. Natalie, a childhood favourite, was as lovely as can be; devoted and comforting to be around. My next roommate Cheryl, well, I took her everywhere with me (that I could, of course) – she had the softest heart out of anyone I’d ever met and was (like my other roommates), hilarious. She was a close & dear friend, not “just a roommate”.

My current roommate Pam has only continued the trend of beauty, grace, intelligence, and hilarity that I’ve been blessed to have in my roommates since the beginning of time. We’ve lived together for just over a year in a perfect house in a perfect location with the best landlords on earth. We’ve come into a time where our future together as roommates isn’t necessarily a set idea – our landlords are putting their house on the market soon, and our lives continue to move and shift as lives often do. While it’s possible that Pam and I will remain roommates for a long time to come, I have also had to deal with the reality that it may not happen… and as I’m sure you know, the thought of losing something you love is the perfect motivation to recognize how good you have it.

 Dear Pam,

You are the very best roommate a girl could ask for. I can’t even count the amount of times I have been moved to speechlessness over how gracious, kind, and friggin’ hilarious you are! One day we won’t be roommates, and I will cry. But you will always be my friend, and that makes me happy.
            
                                                     Love, your roommate.



…you know, I’ve recognized recently, through conversations with friends, that I’ve had it pretty good in the roommate department. It took me awhile to realize (and I’m still learning) that not everyone falls idealistically in love with the person they get to live with. As I’ve typed this post out into tangibility, the truth of how blessed I’ve been has struck me in a new way. So with this I say, to every roommate I’ve had: you’re a gem, and I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have gotten to share life with you for a time.

I’ve been talking a lot lately with my friend Bonnie about this idea of roommate bliss. She recently bought her own place and is struggling to find someone to live with. It seems as though everyone we know already has a roommate, or lives at home while in school, or…or…or…Just recently, in fact, she got a response to one of her ads (on a legitimate, roommate finding website) from a girl who, unlike the other responses she'd gotten, seemed promising. The only weird part was that she had “a secret” to share; a secret she was embarassed about... that secret?...."I have a big bag of diamonds."  Bah, hah, hah.

We’ve talked about it often enough that I’ve decided to do what I can to spread the news beyond our current community borders: here on my blog. I’ve listed some of the most pertinent details below for your perusal – please share this link with your friends (on your facebook, etc) and let’s get Bonnie a rockin’ roommate! In her words, and I quote, “I like this idea already...I'm just short of wearing a t-shirt that says I need a roommate, want to live with me!?”

Location: S. Surrey (Canada)
Location Location: two bedroom, two bathroom apartment; fireplace, patio, above ground (ground level; easy access), well lit (natural light is ample). House is fully furnished except for the 2nd bedroom (where you'll live - only one room to worry about!). Equipped with in house laundry, dishwasher, parking spot.
What about tomorrow? Move in date is as soon as you can.
Rent: $500/month is negotiable

Who you’ll be living with: a delightful human being named Bonnie. You’ll also be hearing a lot about Jesus if you live there – perfect for you if you actually love the guy yourself ;) If you don’t like laughing, eating good food, or having people over, you are not Bonnie’s roommate!

My two bits: just ask Pam – I spend a lot of time at Bonnie’s. We’ve dubbed her house as a place of rest, or freedom, or peace – there’s just something in the air there. Bonnie is the queen of hospitality, and through this house has been shown (countless times) what it means to bless others with what God’s given you, and to be blessed in return. To know Bonnie is to know Bonnie – you won’t get any stupid girl drama or secrets, you’ll get the real deal and a whole lotta love!

An aesthetic side note: the place is beautiful & Bonnie’s put a lot of work into making it that way!



Email me if you’re interested, and I will pass you along to Bonnie (pictures available upon request)