Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Besties!

Many people throw around the "BFF", "Best Friends", and "Love" words like its no big deal.  To me these are SERIOUS words.  I rarely use them because to me they carry so much weight and commitment they are not to be wasted or thrown around haphazardly. 

It is my observation that we all want a best friend.  Someone to call our own and know that that person(s) has your back no matter what. 

I recently did a non-scientific survey.  I polled Facebook "friends" asking how many weddings they have participated in in their lifetime.  By participate I'm referring to being in the wedding party to some capacity.  I was amazed to know some of my acquaintances have been in 7-8 or more wedding parties.  To be quite honest, I've measured likability or depth of friendships to weddings one has been a part of.  I've only been asked to be in one wedding.  Because of this (and I know some of you are going to roll your eyes), I've really questioned the depth of my friendships.  There is NO question that I know a lot of people, but I desire the super-close, be-in-my-wedding-party kind of friendship.

I think we all desire to have this type of relationship with friends.  I've had best friends while growing up and realize some have come and gone and some will stick with you through a lifetime.

This past weekend I attended my 25-year high school reunion and I can definitely say some of these friends are besties for life!  After all these years we pick up where we left off, non-stop conversation, uproarious laughter, and uncontrollable tears.  I watched hilarious scenes of best friends hanging out, making jokes, talking about tough times and praying for each other.  I watched our classmates band together in prayer for a fellow classmate struggling with an unknown illness.  I watched friends cry over years lost with former best friends over some unmentioned dispute.  I sat up until the wee hours of the night (and those who know me know that I am NOT a middle of the night girlie) talking with my high school best friend just because we didn't want to waste any time sleeping because we knew our time together was so limited.

I so loved my reunion weekend!!  I know I have some of the best once-in-a-lifetime friends a girlie could ask for!!  Thank you my beautiful, committed, lifelong friends for being such a blessing in my life!!

2 comments:

Suzie McDowell said...

I am not sure what a blog is but that was the sweetest one I have ever read! Just wanted to let you know that I have been in 6 weddings, 3 were family and they don't count the other 3 were college roomates and I do consider them close although like you they all live in far away states. I would never want to consider my likability factor on the number of weddings I have been in that is for sure. You need to measure that based on the people who you have known for years or will meet in the future that allow you to have an incredible impact on their lives. The people that know even if they have not seen or talked to you in years, would feel the same the moment they see you come off the plane saying "there are my people" which was soooo fabulous by the way! Being military kids we had the advantage of being able to make friends in any given circumstance because we simply did not have a choice. I also believe that because we did not grow up around cousins etc these friends replaced these relationships and became just as important. We were so fortunate to spend out last 2 high school years at Mascoutah. Many base kids are not readily accepted by the local hometowns they are forced to attend school at, we were treated as outsiders, Mascoutah folks welcomed us with open arms and encouraged us to be a part of their family. You and I and Audrey were so lucky that way. Seeing you, Lisa, Lisa, Aud and Erika felt like home, perfectly comfortable after all these years. I do wish we could have all slumber partied one night but understand husbands must come first! As far as Todd goes, I realize you all had much more of a friendship with him because I was too busy trying to be his girlfriend, but over the past 2 years have seen what I was missing. He is truly a special friend who only wants the best for all of us, we are lucky girls in so many ways! Just know that you are so loved, I can't tell you how many times people walked up to me and said immediately to me "Where is Kim" at which point I explained that we had been surgically separated from each other right after high school but have no fear you were at the reunion (many thought we were conjoined twins it turns out). I also want you to know that a true friend will not "defriend" you on facebook. I do not care how damn happy and chipper you are, we are like polar opposites, you are posting amazing home made recipes and I am posting about my son telling his sister to
"Suck his nuts" but maybe that is why it works for us, we are balancing each other out and always make each other laugh! On a different note, I told Donna that I was inspired by you this weekend. I know that you have some of the same issues to deal with as the rest of us but you make a concious decision to look for the good, that is such a wonderful gift that so many people do not have. I instead will make sarcastic but what I consider to be funny comments about the unfortunate events in my life while you just get up, grow grapes and make another bottle of wine. Maybe that is why you are so damn happy, all that wine Mike is feeding you daily! Just kidding! I could not be happier for you! I will always love you and am praying you me and the girls can get a girl trip up here in the next year!

Suzie McDowell said...

I am not sure what a blog is but that was the sweetest one I have ever read! Just wanted to let you know that I have been in 6 weddings, 3 were family and they don't count the other 3 were college roomates and I do consider them close although like you they all live in far away states. I would never want to consider my likability factor on the number of weddings I have been in that is for sure. You need to measure that based on the people who you have known for years or will meet in the future that allow you to have an incredible impact on their lives. The people that know even if they have not seen or talked to you in years, would feel the same the moment they see you come off the plane saying "there are my people" which was soooo fabulous by the way! Being military kids we had the advantage of being able to make friends in any given circumstance because we simply did not have a choice. I also believe that because we did not grow up around cousins etc these friends replaced these relationships and became just as important. We were so fortunate to spend out last 2 high school years at Mascoutah. Many base kids are not readily accepted by the local hometowns they are forced to attend school at, we were treated as outsiders, Mascoutah folks welcomed us with open arms and encouraged us to be a part of their family. You and I and Audrey were so lucky that way. Seeing you, Lisa, Lisa, Aud and Erika felt like home, perfectly comfortable after all these years. I do wish we could have all slumber partied one night but understand husbands must come first! As far as Todd goes, I realize you all had much more of a friendship with him because I was too busy trying to be his girlfriend, but over the past 2 years have seen what I was missing. He is truly a special friend who only wants the best for all of us, we are lucky girls in so many ways! Just know that you are so loved, I can't tell you how many times people walked up to me and said immediately to me "Where is Kim" at which point I explained that we had been surgically separated from each other right after high school but have no fear you were at the reunion (many thought we were conjoined twins it turns out). I also want you to know that a true friend will not "defriend" you on facebook. I do not care how damn happy and chipper you are, we are like polar opposites, you are posting amazing home made recipes and I am posting about my son telling his sister to
"Suck his nuts" but maybe that is why it works for us, we are balancing each other out and always make each other laugh! On a different note, I told Donna that I was inspired by you this weekend. I know that you have some of the same issues to deal with as the rest of us but you make a concious decision to look for the good, that is such a wonderful gift that so many people do not have. I instead will make sarcastic but what I consider to be funny comments about the unfortunate events in my life while you just get up, grow grapes and make another bottle of wine. Maybe that is why you are so damn happy, all that wine Mike is feeding you daily! Just kidding! I could not be happier for you! I will always love you and am praying you me and the girls can get a girl trip up here in the next year!