L and I went to the 30th birthday party of my high school best friend. It’s been ten (almost eleven) years since we graduated high school. Old BFF and I spent a lot of years drifting apart. You know how that goes. I moved out of state for college. We continued to talk on the phone, and saw each other over school breaks, but eventually, we grew apart – physically, emotionally, both.
Despite the drifting, Old BFF is one of the few friends I know that really knows me.
We wore matching leopard print heels to prom together. She took me to the E.R. when I randomly passed out while visiting her freshman year of college. She is the first person I smoked a cigarette with (I totally didn’t inhale. What a poser.) We nearly bottomed out her Ford Explorer trying to hop a curb and ditch sixth period in high school. I picked her up and took her home when she fell off a skateboard drunk in a devil’s costume at a college Halloween party. Well, you get the picture.
There is something about an old friend that nothing can replace.
So even though we hadn’t seen each other for a few years, I wasn’t surprised when she told me she would attend our wedding and did. I think I surprised her by attending her birthday (only because I’m not a friend that always comes through. It’s the truth. I’m not.)
But I wanted to be there for her.
We sat around and reminisced about old times. She held my hand and her eyes got teary when I told her about my parents’ separation. She was only ten when her own parents divorced. We were instantly on the same page. I told her I have been sick. She wanted to hear every word of what’s been going on…at.her.birthday.party.
Umm, hello?! She should be partying hard and taking shots, but she chose to sit with me for awhile and just talk. Then we drank tequila. We sang happy birthday. We laughed, and she told my husband that she’d rough him up if he ever f*cked me over.
Damn, I’ve missed this girl. Here’s to 30 more fabulous years, old friend.It’s the people that truly know you that accept you for you. In the end, that’s real. Everything else is just a facade.
Heidi
Don't you LOVE those friends? I'm blessed with a few in my life and its just amazing. I've spent the last two weekends with two of them and its just good for your soul! Makes you feel a little less crazy and weird!
Sandy
"It's the people that truly know you that accept you for you. In the end, that's real. Everything else is just a facade."
EXACTLY…perfectly stated!
I don't have a big group of girls that I'm super good friends with…the girls I partied with in college don't know the real me…it's more of a facade. There are only a handful of people who truly know me and accept me for me: my husband, my childhood best friend (since 4th grade), my college best friend, and my parents.
Both of my best friends were the only girls in my wedding and I know that even though we may get busy with our lives and are separated by long distances…we can instantly connect and get each other.
honey my heart
i have a few friendships similar to this. friendships of love and depth that others can't know. here is to old friends!
koritsimou
Carly, I really appreciate your honestly and clarity of thought when writing. It's a pleasure to read you. (No, I'm a total stalker.)
Chic 'n Cheap Living
Gotta love friends that saw us at those precious, funny stages of our lives! I've been meaning to meet up with my best friend from childhood but now that I'm on another continent, it makes things harder 🙁 Some day…
junghwa by amy stewart
Aww… I have friendships like that and I totally cherish them. Good friends are hard to come by these days and you are lucky to have her.
Btw… thank you for the letter to H&M. I'm sure they received it and I'm sure they will comply. hehe. 😉
thelessthandomesticgoddess
I'm so glad that this post made some of you think about your own great friendships. Good friends are definitely hard to come by. Hold on tight to the ones worth holding onto.
@koritsimou: Aww, thank you! That's such a nice compliment. Made me smile 🙂
@Amy: Haha! Yes, I'm sure H & M took my letter VERY seriously! Did you get some good stuff? Can't wait to read about it.
@Sandy: It sounds like we have very similar friend situations. I spent a lot of time in my younger years thinking I had to have a ton of friends. Now I realize that it's quality rather than quantity…which can also be said about a lot of things in life!