Best Friends Forever

When you’re young, it seems like you’ll always be together. Your world is a nice tidy room of grade school friends who will always be there. A scene frozen in time.

Nancy will always like Bill Cosby and Star Trek. Beth will always remind me of Spock and books. Mary Jane will always be a compassionate teacher. We didn’t yet realize the outside influences that would disrupt our little scene. High School expanding our perimeter, outside influences stretching us in every direction. Pulling us beyond our small group into an ever-widening world.

Yet for a while, we were a group of girls, somehow sensing that we valued the best in each other. We respected the smart, witty way we could carry on a conversation, both talking and listening. Realizing the value of each point of view. Expanding our world beyond the classroom. Exploring pop culture with a sensible guide. Not gossiping but caring. Mirroring for each other our best selves.

Through the years we’ve grown and changed. We’ve moved beyond our tiny neighborhoods and elementary ideas. We now have a larger scope of family and friends.

But I like to think that at the core, we’re still those little girls, who found each other and learned the gift of friendship.