High School Friendships

I was watching this show this morning while munching on my bagel and fruit that was centered around three gals who were high school best friends, but who lost touch almost immediately after graduation. All three noted that losing touch was one of the greatest regrets of their lives.

This, of course, made me think about my own friendships and where they have come from, how they developed, and where they are at today. I have made many new wonderful friends in my post-collegiate career/schooling, as well as some interesting friendships during my collegiate career. But it was in middle school that I was first introduced to some of the women that I still call my best friends. And no, we're not talking "facebook friends" from high school that can be stalked through their pages and you pretend like you have a clue as to what they're up to, we're talking the real deal.

I suppose I do not often think how lucky I am that these people and I have remained friends, much less very good ones. I often see these wonderful people on trips home, and will always look forward to future times that I get to spend with them. The fact that we have remained friends for quite so many years is a feat in and of itself, seeing as how many of us went very different directions for college and then I ended up out here in the boonies (I kid!).

I'd like to take a moment to recognize these ladies, even if for a brief moment, only because I do realize how lucky I am and I don't want to take the friendships they have given me for granted. I have a very large personality and each of these people have accepted it, dealt with it, and made fun of it to their own liking. I'm going to do this reverse alphabetical, just to be funky.

Sena - We have incredibly different personalities, but have always found a way to appreciate the differences in each other and love them anyways. A constant support to me, it is an incredible honor to me to be able to serve as her Maid of Honor in her wedding this coming June.

Lauren - We have incredibly similar personalities, but have always found a way to fight and then make-up. It was at Lauren's house that I spent the day of my father's first kidney surgery (not the last of the surgeries certainly) and to this day, there is nowhere else I'd want to be if I couldn't be with my folks.

Christina - Christina and I ended up at middle school together, became very good friends in high school, ended up at Cal together, and now just may end up in DC together. I think she's following me around! Our appreciation for each others humor and hearts make for a fun and supportive friendship.

Now there are two people who may read this and think, "what about me?!" And those two people are Lynn and Shells - the wonder twins of MB. I purposefully did not include them in the list above because we have not been friends since middle school. We've been friends since Kindergarten. How insane is that?! I can even remember going to parties at their childhood home (which their parents still reside in). And if you all know me, you know I don't remember much! Both of these girls have their own strengths that they use to be supportive, cheerful, and a constant joy in people's lives. They have an incredible bond and when you get one, you get the other - a two for the price of one deal that can't be passed up! Although, I can't imagine why anybody would want to...

I am of the opinion that part of the reason why some of these friendships have remained so strong regardless of distance and time is that I have great role models. Both of my parents best friends they have had since 5 or 6 years old. I see my godmother (mom's best friend from Iowa) everytime I go home and I see my dad's best friend (Gary) and his fabulous wife (Sharon)... probably twice everytime I go home. Both of my folks have taken the time to cherish and nurture these friendships through good and bad - Gary always being at the hospital when my dad is there, being a support to my mom even moreso than my dad.

Such good friends that literally last a lifetime are hard to find and I hope to look back to this blog at 60 years old and still call the ladies mentioned here my friends.