Old Friends

I chatted (electronically, of course) with a good friend this morning. Made me remember all of the things we used to do together and all of the fun we had. She started the world's most successful playgroup, and Chase and I were charter members. At our church, we were known to be joined at the hip. We would chat on the phone for hours, and our very favorite phrase of all was, "You know it's all about me. Unless it's about you." It was always all about ONE of us, that is for sure. And we went through A LOT together.

Our boys were the very best of friends, or at least as good a friends as one can be when one is 3. They played together, fought together, made up together, got mullet haircuts together (ok, no, mine had the bowl cut, but hers had a mullet, for sure!!), and nearly lived together for several years.

Then, life happened. She moved about an hour out of town and began to homeschool her boys. Homeschooling takes a lot of time, and her life was no longer her own. And I worked part time while Chase was in school and with soccer, church, etc, driving an hour out of town on a regular basis was out of the question. But, we still talked on the phone often, and met to go to the Women of Faith conference and to celebrate our birthdays.

Then, I became a gypsy and began my constant relocation. Now, I am lucky to see her once a year when I visit Texas. We talk on the phone only occasionally. She is no longer my constant companion, but it doesn't take much to make me think of her.

Old friends weave themselves into our lives and become part of us in a permanent way. There are so many times I find myself thinking of her or hearing something that reminds me of her. Even when we haven't seen each other in months and months, if we chat on the phone, we are both in hysterics and could talk forever. I cherish my memories of her, and of so many of the friends I have left behind in my wanderings. I'm feeling nostalgic today, can you tell??