Tonight I had a conversation with my friend Pam. We've been friends since... I'm not even sure when we became friends! She only lived two blocks away from me growing up, so I feel safe in saying we became friends sometime in elementary school.
One thing I've always appreciated about her is that even in our own personal dramas our friendship never had any drama. In high school we got involved with different crowds and drifted our separate ways, but even with that I don't recall much drama. It was just a part of our growing up and finding ourselves.
I remember sometime around the end of our senior year of high school we found ourselves in the hallway together and we talked about what life had next in store for us. That was the most we had talked in 4 years. As most reunions go these days, we found each other via Facebook and reconnected. I've had the chance to catch up with her when she's in town, learn about her life since we last saw each other, and meet her fantastic kids.
Tonight our conversation didn't start as one of those happy go lucky let's catch up convos, it was just a real honest grown up conversation. Discussing the heartbreak and happiness of life as a grown up. I don't know how, but we veered off in to a walk down memory lane discussing the boys we thought we loved or had serious crushes on as teens. I might have even facebook stalked one during our convo to find out he's still a nerd, and still adorable. We laughed as we both reverted to those 13yr old girls during our chat this evening.
Of course neither one of us wants to stay in that place, but for a moment it was such a blast to have a genuine laugh with someone who's known you at your best and your most awkward (I might still be in my awkward phase). To laugh with someone who knows the crush you had in 8th grade that you should be embarrassed about but still aren't.
There are chapters in our friendship that are missing. And that isn't a bad thing! I wonder if we could be the friends we are today if we had shared all of those experiences growing up together. I don't know that we would.
I'm so thankful for Pam and her years of friendship! I'm excited for her journey and the new chapter she's beginning in her life. And I'm so thankful that I can have a moment to laugh and be 13 again with her!
I'll let you know if that old crush accepts my friend request - after I squeal with giddy excitement
