It's Friendship...

'When I think of who I am today. I think of all the things that brought me to who I am, and I wonder...If all of this had not befallen me, would I still be the person I am today? The truth is, we are all shaped by our circumstances,by those that we meet. Those who love us, and those who despise us. We all become who it is we find most acceptable in ourselves. We all learn from what harms us, helps us, makes us, and breaks us.  We all change...'


When I was in grade school a girl named Lorie befriended me. She was the best friend that anyone could possibly ask for. She never asked anything of me, except that I be her friend. She accepted who I was, and I knew that would never change. We became so close, that I actually thought of her as the sister I'd always wanted, but never got the opportunity to have.

We spend countless hours doing things that best friends do. I spent hours at her house, and she at mine. We always vowed to be best friends, no matter what life threw at us. No matter who we became. Even in growing up, and starting families of our own, we would still be the best of friends. (As I write this sentence, the theme song from "Fox and Hound" plays happily in my mind, what a dork I am)

When Lorie and I got to high school. We, or shall I say, I let a boy get in the way of our friendship, and for a little while we lost each other. We didn't speak for the better part of three years. That was a very dark time in my life, because even then the friends that I had could not compare to the one that I had lost. They didn't know me as she did, and they didn't understand me the way she could.

As always, the boys come and the boys go, and this boy turned out to be a toad. (And we all know that I hate frogs...) But friendships, no matter how broken they may be, eventually mend and begin again.
Our senior year, Lorie and I put the scars of the past behind us. However, things were never the same as before. When we graduated, and began our lives, we lost touch with one another. But we always seemed to make it into the very important parts of each others lives.

The night before I was to be married, she showed up on my door step with a celebratory cheesecake (wink-wink) and pronounced that this was my bachalorette party. We spent the evening with friends driving around town, shopping, and ate dinner at McDonald's. Very high class. The next day, Lorie was at my wedding, supporting me, even though she wasn't my chosen maid of honor. (worst mistake I've ever made). I likewise made it to her wedding, and even helped her with all of her bridal shower details.
She has been present at each great moment in my life, as well as all of the bad. She was my main source of strength when my dad died. And she has always been a shoulder to cry on when one is needed.

I am so thankful that God allowed us to find our friendship again after losing each other all those long years ago. Our children have become friends, and I so look forward to the day when they can value one another the way I value my dear friend. I only hope she knows how truly precious our friendship is to me, and how lucky I feel that I am to have found her.