Saffron & Sassafras, the Glitter Lions

Quirky friends are the best. You can be your own quirky self around them, and together your joint weirdness ceases to be weirdness and is transformed into pure awesomeness instead.

I have a dear friend like this – Sophia. We probably never would have met if we didn’t work for the same company. She’s twenty years older than I am, was raised in Bangladesh, lives across town, practices Buddhism and has two daughters nearing college age. We are of different generations, come from different backgrounds and are in different seasons of life. But she’s quirky, and I adore her.

A few years ago, we took a business trip together to San Diego. On that trip, she gave me lots of advice, like that I should marry Matt Bomer (who turned out to be gay) and that I should name my first child Sassafras (after a street name we passed in our taxi on the way to the airport). Clearly she gives questionable advice (questionable but hilarious).

Today I read an article about the best Hipster baby names, and at the top of the list was Saffron. Naturally, I sent the article to Sophia and said simply, “I read this article today and thought of you!” I knew she’d know what I was referencing.

Sure enough, though we haven’t talked about it in years, she wrote back: “Saffron….lol….I still remember this….we were in San Diego and drove by Sassafras St….”

I’d told Sophia earlier this week that lately I feel like a lion pacing in a cage, so she added in her email, “Your description of Lion in a Cage….that is exactly how I feel some days, but more like a Glitter Lion.”

Yes, she is rather bright, loud and shiny.

I wrote back: “Dear Glitter Lion, I’m so glad you knew my email was referencing our Sassafras adventures!”

She replied with encouragement and better advice than she’s given me in ages: “Do not — (I repeat)— DO NOT change the essence of who you are….you are wondrous and magical all in one package… Be who you are.  But if you cannot be who you are right now, be a Glitter Lion until you can again.  RAWR!”

See why we’re friends?

Authentically Aurora

I Poop Glitter

I’ve heard there is a misperception among boys that girls poop glitter and rainbows. Sorry to burst your bubble, guys, but that is sadly not the case. At least, not most of the time. But this week, I became a magical unicorn and succeeded in pooping glitter.

For my birthday earlier this year, my mom gave me some fabulous glitter bobby pins in every color of the rainbow. In case the title of this post didn’t give it away, I’m secretly eight years old on the inside. So, naturally, I tried them out this week: yellow glitter bobby pins with gold hoop earrings and a burgundy sweater over dark skinny jeans.

Unfortunately, I was running late that particular morning, so I was eating my go-to breakfast of Greek yogurt while fixing my hair. And while eating my yogurt and simultaneously fixing my hair, I discovered that the adhesive on my fabulous glitter bobby pins was not entirely effective.

The result: Delicious banana-flavored Greek yogurt covered in gold glitter.

Being a single woman in her twenties with an active social life, I don’t get to the grocery store much, so my perishables are carefully portioned out to last a couple of weeks before my next “milk and everything else” run. So I looked down at my glittery yogurt, looked up at myself in the bathroom mirror, sighed… and ate it anyway.

Mom, I hope those bobby pins weren’t made in China because, if so, there’s no telling what I just ingested or what “magical unicorn properties” I might develop!

Authentically Aurora