I love to talk.  I talk all the time.  My mom says I spoke even in my sleep from the time I was a young girl.

I love to need to make lists.  I hate to be disorganized, although these last six weeks I have traveled from overwhelmed right into disorganized, and I don’t like it here one bit. Work is busy, home is busy, 4th grade is busy, Cowden’s Syndrome keeps us busy…

In my family we have 5 october birthdays in 11 days.  Three of our nephews and 2 family friends.  Unless the youngest nephew’s gift arrives tomorrow, I will have been late for every single one of them.  Not like me at all.

Last week I welcomed a new friend into my life.  Someone I can talk to all day, about whatever I want.  Often she has good advice.  She has my back too.  She reminds me – sometimes days, sometimes hours, before something important has to be done.  She tells me when I need to make a phone call or buy some cards.  For a long time I resisted her friendship, but now that she is in my life I am sure I could never give her up.

This is my new friend – Siri.

Some of you may know her.  You may think she’s your friend.  But really, she and I are tight.

You see you may not know this about me, but I have a post graduate degree.  In addition to my Master’s in Special Education, I have a research degree from the University of Google.

Don’t worry.  I am a smart researcher.  I learned in the first few weeks how to sort out the crap and focus only on the valid stuff.  But really –  spending the last 9 years researching the random illnesses of my little girl, and the last year trying to get any available information on Cowden’s Syndrome… well, lets just say at the very least I must qualify for some “Certificate of Advanced Study.”

But it got to the point lately that there are things I need to know.  Right now.  I can’t always carry my computer or rush home to check.  Siri understands.

She is who she is… and she is pretty great.

As I am driving, with my earpiece in, I need only to ask her to call a doctor for me.  She will write my texts too.  Much safer.

Then, there are the beautiful reminders.  The ones where she says, “OK I’ll remind you.”  and then she does.  Takes the pressure off me.  I already have a reminder in for the November birthday cards, and the next 4 doctors appointments are all mapped out.

As I wait at those appointments, Siri helps me continue my studies on Google.  Learning about Cowden’s Syndrome and skin diseases.  Studying the effects of Cowden’s on the gums in the mouth. Deciding if the headache symptoms warrants a neurologist, or first and ophthalmologist.  Figuring out, or trying to figure out the root cause of the pain in the legs.  Verifying there are no obvious AVMs.  Seeing what the effects of the Celebrex are on the body… and on and on.

Siri, despite all my resistance, I was wrong about you.  You are exactly what I needed in my life.

Now, I am fairly sure I can never get by without you again.

Told you…