An Ode to the Brookes of the World

There’s a certain type of woman who sparkles even after the daily grind has dulled the rest of us into gray. It’s the same type of woman who lights up every room she walks into, no matter the occasion. We’ve all at least seen and admired these women from afar, but only some of us have been lucky enough to call one of them a friend.

I’m one of those lucky ones. Her name is Brooke. And today is her birthday.

Brooke encourages and supports me at every juncture and has given me the confidence to dance through life instead of marching through it. She tells me I’m beautiful. She reads my writing. And she urges others to read it too.

She is the ultimate hype-woman.

Brooke is in the motherhood trenches alongside me. She’s seen my girls and me at our worst but she loves us anyway. And she always knows when I need a second glass of wine.

She is exactly who I want in my foxhole.

But it’s not just me she’s hyping up or doing life with. She’s that woman for an entire circle of friends.

We all know the saying “it takes a village,” but seriously, it does. And Brooke is not only a pillar of my village, but of dozens of other villages too. And I’m not talking about some plain, boring, white pillar either; no, she’s a glittery, hot pink pillar with its own light show.

I honestly don’t know how she does it. All I know is that she deserves to be celebrated—not just on her birthday, but every day—for her capacity to be a champion for all of us. Because without the Brookes of the world, our villages crumble and our days lose their vivacity.

So, if you’re lucky like me and have your own Brooke, tell her how much you love her today. Tell her you appreciate her pizazz and zest for life. And then tell her again tomorrow, and the tomorrow after that, forever.

Photo by Daniela Paola Alchapar on Unsplash

I love you, dearest Brooke. I am perpetually grateful for your sparkle. Happy birthday.

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative columnists

Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights

Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, Roundup

Steph Copley: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston

Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake

Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley

Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames

Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines

Rob Gray: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny

Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Los Angeles and Iowa

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines

Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo

Fern Kupfer: Fern and Joe, Ames

Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey

Letters from Iowans, Iowa

Tar Macias: Hola Iowa, Iowa

Kurt Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar

Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines

Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids

Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines

Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines

John Naughton: My Life, in Color, Des Moines

Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines

Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.

Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines

Macey Spensley: The Midwest Creative, Iowa

Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices, Kalona

Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County

Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport

Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines

The Iowa Writers Collaborative is also proud to ally with Iowa Capital Dispatch.