Apology accepted! (21 years later!)
This week a VERY old friend friend-ed me on Facebook. We were only friends from the end of 4th grade until maybe 6th grade (?) and then we lost touch, but I have often thought of her and tried to find her before on the information superhighway. I have been surprised and touched at how quickly we have been able to reconnect, particularly over baby-making and baby-losing. It's been somewhat amazing. I can't imagine we talked over many deep subjects from the ages of 9 to 11, but there was obviously something we shared back then that allowed us to reconnect so intimately and immediately.
Old friends are very precious to me. In May, I left my baby girl for the first time since her birth and went to Colorado to hang with my oldest girlfriends, Robyn and Kim. I have known both of them since middle school. Robyn I clearly remember meeting in homeroom in 7th grade b/c she had a Billy Idol folder that I thought was so cool. It was a folder that was made to look like an album cover with a bit of faux record sticking out of the top. Since my mom was hyper-religious and didn't let me listen to rock-n-roll, that folder signified a lot to me and Robyn and I became fast friends.
But friendships are complicated. All of my girlfriends whom I have known for extended periods of time eventually end up on some sort of pause mode. Or worse, an all out conflict. Some fights I don't remember, some I do, but eventually--if the friendship was solid--we come back to each other in the end. And, strangely, I think those altercations make our friendships stronger.
One night as we ate yummy steaks off Robyn's grill, we dug out the old Park View High School yearbooks. And here's what we found! Guess Robyn and I did have some falling outs over the years. Neither of us remember what they were about, and I'm glad our friendship survived them, and, at least, "bitch" wasn't written next to my picture like some other folks!
Here's to good girlfriends. I truly believe they make us who we are.
Wonderful post on Old Friends. It is amazing when one is able to reconnect after so many years and also, I completely agree with your assessment that female relationships often take a pause due to a fight or some type of disagreement. Must be a female thing because you just don't see this with guys :)
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