she’s got it all

One of the things that ran through my head a lot this past year was: “How does she do it?!” She being S, an editor and friend who multitasks and goes through her to-do list unlike anyone I have ever met. I don’t know if it’s the age—she’s a baby at 23—but she just…whizzes by all of us. When I ask for something, she hands it to me in under 10 minutes. Even more amazing, many times I have not needed to ask. Psychic! She anticipates and delivers, and is somehow always a step ahead of everyone. I was far from being that productive or disciplined when I was her age, and to this day I still have to fight hard not to give in to procrastination and the loud call of sleeping in. But she’s an up-and-at-’em kind of kid—waking early, and moving, working, thinking at top speed until pajama time.

Because she accomplishes so much more than any of us do in the same 24 hours, we often joke that she’s a robot who doesn’t need sleep. But that sounds cold—and S is so not. She is funny and thoughtful and sweet and generous and bursting with talent. She is a long list of the best verbs—cook, bake, shop, write, travel, play, read, surf, email, make, give, teach, share, laugh, surprise. Once, I even saw her cross-stitching. As I write this, she is cooking “plenty!” for her dad’s birthday, even making frozen brazo de mercedes. (And I’m in my pajamas, all set for a day of doing nothing.)

One of the chefs we work with once told me, “She’s the kind of person you cheer for.” We know she will do many, many amazing things. When I look back at 2007, I know I couldn’t have made it without S. She is also this verb: inspire.