Because You've got to have Friends

We met in the first grade, Mrs. Pulsipher’s class, she was tall, beautiful and girlie in every sense of the word, and as for me I was short, sporty and somewhat rough around the edges. As the rule states, opposites attract, we were no exception.

We carpooled together, played together about everyday and soon we achieved some common interests such as dolls, dollhouses, and sprite.

Before we began each play date we would have to determine the location, your house or mine? She would always ask, “Outside or inside?” I don’t know why she would bother to ask, my reply was annoyingly consistent, “Your house, outside.” I knew perfectly well her preference was the opposite. On occasion she would win the argument, I’d stroll my dolly to her house, of course she always met me half way, we’d play with our dolls, drink sprite and eat Mac N’ Cheese or Top Roman. I loved being at her house because my sisters didn’t live there, she loved being at my house because my sisters were there.

Carissa, throughout most of our years together, was an only child; yet over time the lines between friend and sister became blurred. I would go on trips with her family; her home was my second home. She would come to Bear Lake with my family each summer. I was her sister and she was mine. Even my own sisters adopted her as such.

In the 6^th grade she moved about 30 minutes away. I was devastated; it felt as if a member of my family was plucked out of my home and placed in another city. My mom promised she would drive me to her home as much as possible. She kept her promise. Later my family moved, which made our commute just 15 minutes. Now we are about two hours away, yet with families and responsibilities of our own the miles aren’t the only distance between us. Our visits are few and far between. A random phone call, an email and a text highlighting an inappropriate quote from a movie keep us together. Though our lives have grown in their own different direction we still know at any given moment we could call the other and cry. To have such a friend, is a rare gift.

Yet sometimes I wish we were still kids sipping sprite, watching movies and making one decision, outside or inside.

Write on Edge,  thanks again for your inspiration. The picture above is of our daughters at the zoo.