Thursday, January 21, 2010

"It takes a long time to grow old friends"


My best friend of 15 years came to visit on Friday...

Jeni came in the midst of our Daniel Fast which meant no energy, bland food, and digestions issues. Thankfully her church was doing something similar so we laid on the couch talking of old times, giggling and thinking of doughnuts, coffee, cookies, and large hunks of gourmet chocolate... yummm... (will be done on Sunday and will have caffeine IV set up ASAP!)

It's amazing to see how much we have changed over the years and yet are still the same. We look essentially like those dorky "modeling" pictures we took once, though we have morphed somehow into "adults". But those little girls that met when we were 14/15 years old are still in there somewhere.

No one can make me laugh harder and snort milk through my nose like Jen...

Goodness, when I think of the things that we have been through and put our own selves through... Like the time I let Jeni wax my eyebrows (we were 16) and she waxed off half of my right brow. I walked around looking surprised for months and still suffer follicle damage (so my aesthetician says). What about putting toothpaste on our zits to "dry" them out, making homemade facials, creating "Code words" to speak to each other when the boys we liked were around, getting pulled over for reckless driving because we were jamming out and playing air guitar in the car, talking about our first kisses, replaying first kisses on a stuffed bear to make sure we got it right, dissing boys that broke the others heart, assuring the other that "No - you don't look fat! It's just your imagination!", being able to have brutal honesty (that from any other mouth would get slapped), praying for one another when we needed strength, falling asleep in a water bed after staying up half the night discussing life and its mysteries...

Or the clothes? The horrible clothes we allowed each other to wear! (Contrary to urban legend, it was never a good idea to wear sneakers with long floral skirts or plaid jumpers with buckles and large hip emphasizing pockets). Whew... We have redeemed ourselves as we have aged(hopefully) and manage to stay (mostly) in good taste.

I remember Jen picking me up one day, I had been sick for a week, and taking me out on a "date". Neither of us had any cash, so we scrounged around in couch cushions, car cup holders, and old purses and came up with a combined amount of $5.67 (Mostly nickels). Off we went, (me in a lime green velour sweater and leopard penny loafers *shudder*)... Somehow we managed for that small amount of cash to eat soup at Bennigans, flirt with the waiter named "Bo" who gave us free dessert (I give my lime green sweater the credit), put a $1.00 in the gas tank and get a coffee at the local gas station.

I giggle when I think about all the stupid things we did, and came up with... I'm so thankful to have an old friend that loves me, good, bad and ugly. Having an old friend is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket, there is such a feeling of security there.

She was there for me when I made huge mistakes in life, and instead of condemnation? She loved me.
When my heart was broken for the umpteenth time? She loved me and handed me tissues while I did the "ugly cry" (with true friends you don't have to care how you look). When I got moved away? She came to visit me every 3 months and would listen to me in whatever mood I was in.
When my heart was broken? She loved me and believed in me, and called to sing me the stupid song we made up when we were teens.
When I was depressed? She loved me and once sent me an envelope full of fall leaves (my favorite season) and a bar of chocolate to cheer me up.

I am so thankful for true blue friends. Those that love you in the good seasons, the ugly seasons, and the stupid-decision seasons. Those are the people that count in life, and truly are blessings from God.

So very thankful for those "true blue friends" that are in my life. I realize as I get older, I have many acquaintances, and few friends. I am blessed to have those in my life that I do.

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." -B.M

5 comments:

  1. Awwwww Love you too! And ditto to all you said :)

    jeni

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  2. how sweet! It is so nice to have good friends. Jeni is such a sweetheart! I love her too! :) So glad you guys had a great visit. And it looks like you got the picture posting down? hehe

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  3. Great post! :) Makes me really miss having my best friend, Gina, around. She's amazing....and unfortunately over 1700 miles away. Yet, we're still just as close & can crack up at each other despite the distance. :)

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  4. Sounds like me & KristaJoy! aww I miss her! Wish I could visit her every 3 months... :(

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  5. Sweet story! Friends are one of the best things in life! Thanks for being my new friend in the blogging world! I'm excited to learn more about this blogging adventure and I appreciate you commenting on my blog! It encourages me and I feel like I have a new friend in you! I'll look forward to reading more of your adventures!!

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