True Friendship

True friends can go long periods of time without speaking and never question their friendship.....and pick up like they just spoke yesterday, regardless of how long it has been....(ganked from someone on FB)

However, I find this statement so true.  And so I will talk about my best friend....We've been best friends for over 33-34 years.  Our friendship and our family's friendship is the only good thing I feel that came out of my dad's second marriage.  Well, and Buckwheat, but unfortunately he passed on long ago.  

We were around 3 or 4 years old when we met each other.  I don't really remember this, but Michelle says the first day I met her I flipped her off.  Yep, all my siblings are older and I learned things as a child that I probably shouldn't have known at that age.  Oh well, that finger gesture sealed our friendship.  HAHA.  

Our families spent our summers in Tahoe and later in Brianhead.  Her brother, Joe, a little older than us, Michelle, and I would wreak havoc on that condo project.  I remember the time we demolished some other kid's fort.  HAHA.  Ok, it was mean, but fun.  

Michelle and I went to different elementary schools, but she was always invited to all my birthday parties and my sleepovers.  We went to the same junior high only because it was the only junior high.  Although we had a lot of the same classes and we hung out together, we truly had different cliches.  May be that is why we have survived all this time.  

We entered high school and definitely went our separate ways with regard to friends and hanging out.  We really didn't have too many classes together, but when we did we had a blast.  I remember having Michelle in Mrs. Biekman's science class.  Chad was in the class with us and man did we cause problems.  On the weekends and when we found time, we hung out.  

Our college years happened upon us and initially I went to another state, but returned to Arizona and spent the rest of my college days hanging out with Michelle almost daily on the benches of NAU.  She was the one who was with me when I decided upon piercing my belly button.  She was the one who attempted to put the new ring in, she was the one who attempted to repierce it, and was there years later when I almost passed out when I had it done a third time.  During our college years, we probably were the closest in all aspects of our friendship.  

We graduated from college and went on our ways both ending up in the Phoenix area.  Michelle was the one who found me my first apartment, which I sometimes still wish I lived in.  I was there on the mountain when she married Hector.  I was there when her children were born.  And vise versa, but I've been smart and haven't gotten married and pushed out children...but she's been there for me whenever I needed her.  

And then I got the job of a life time and left Arizona.  But since my family was still all there, I would often come back.  And when I did, we always went out to lunch or spent time together.  Usually with me handling her kids and giving her a break.  And like the statement above says, it was like we had just seen or spoken yesterday.  

When I received the telephone call her brother had passed away, there was no doubt in my mind that I was flying to be with the family.  And so I did.  

We've lived apart for many years now.  Only seeing each other about once a year.  I live in a no zone for cell phones, but she somehow talked me into getting text messaging.  And every week when I head into town for errands, we either text back and forth or give a quick call.  Occasionally we will send each other a card that we find that fits our friendship.

The last couple of weeks, we've missed each other.  When we finally talked yesterday, she jokingly said 'Am I still your friend?".  I said NO.   And we both laughed.  In the 33 years we have known each other, we have never had a fight of any kind.  We've never stopped being friends like so many teenagers do over the course of school years.  Her friends are so different from mine, but we all get along just fine when we hang out together.  Michelle and I are quite bossy with each other and during a particular outing with her friends, Michelle was bossing me around as she usually does. (Which is funny because I am 10 days older to the hour).  I can't remember the exact words, but one of her friends said something with reference how we berate each other.  And Michelle just laughed knowing full well that this was just part of our strong friendship.  

She is the truest of friends and I know in the coming months as I travel even farther away from Arizona that our friendship will not suffer and end in anyway.  If anything it will just grow stronger as I think I might be in a cell zone.  

So give your true friend a call today or drop a note just to say I'm still here and how are you....