When I was 17...I had my whole life ahead of me, and I dreamed of it often. Most of my future thoughts were of college, but some were beyond that. It was easy to dream and back then, the life I saw in my day dreams seemed so possible. My absolute favorite times were on the late bus, coming home from an away basketball game. It would be dark and calm, the routiness would have just calmed down from the win earlier in the night, and all we would have is a 2 hour drive home in the Arizona night. That's when my best friend, Maria, and I would talk about our "plans" .....our plans for the future. You see, she and I were inseparable in high school and we just clicked from the moment we met. She ALWAYS looked out for me and I feel like I always did the same for her. She was more outgoing than me, and I think it really helped me to open up and come out of my shell more. We loved to talk about all of the things that high school girls do, of course, but we also talked about so much more! We told each other everything and it was just an incredible bond. On these late night bus trips, our topic of conversation was about anything and everything. The conversation usually led to food and the future mostly. Ha! Our talks ranged from planning our monthly spa weekends when we graduated college and about the collabrotive book we would write after we reached our goals and conquered the world, to the way a tomato sandwich was so simple, but so delicious and how we'd kill for one after such an intense, draining night of basketball. We'd talk about how we would go to college, have amazing careers and buy houses next door to each other and be best friends forever. We'd devise plans on how I would get Mr. "teacher" to dance with me at prom and how she'd talk her parents into letting her go to prom. No matter what...the conversation was always fun, and always gave me a warm fuzzy. I'd tell her all the stories of my "teacher crush," and no matter what, she would always listen and say something back that would make me feel....hopeful....and hopeful to a 17 year old girl with a crush on her teacher was the greatest feeling to have! She would predict that I would go on and play college softball and that she would travel the world and then become a pharmacist. There was always something so organic and artisitic about her.....I would have predicted her to become a a writer or an artist. (She is an amazing artist now by the way). I love how she was ahead of her time, but an old soul at the same time...and just an incredible friend. A lot of people probably don't remember that her and I were such great friends, but I do and I remember that we were so inspired and upbeat when we got around each other...that we thought we could change the world.
That was in 1997 and 1998...such a long time ago, but I can still smell the school bus and see the Arizona mountains breezing by me in the dark. Somedays, it feels like it was yesterday. I can still remember what it feels like to have such a wonderful friend in my life. Life didn't turn out quite the way we expected and infact, we hardly ever see each other at all. She's in North Carolina and I'm in Arizona. We aren't rich, we don't live next door to each other and we never did write that book. But, I must say...there's still such a warmth and kindness that exudes from her everytime we talk or write. Back in 2002, when I was away at college in Tennessee....I was going through a pretty rough patch with money, boyfriend problems and just all around stress. She didn't know I was feeling this way, but still, somehow one day I received a care package full ofyummy snacks, adorable stationary and $50.00. It's like she telepathically knew I was down. And now, 10 years later....thousands of miles away from each other, she did it again. I'm going through a very hard time for several reasons, and today I received a care package from her. She is so generous and selfless and just made me realize that even though life may be impossible to face sometimes....there are always the people there that care for you the most.....the ones that are there in good times and in bad and the ones that will forever remain your very best friend.
This is us our senior year...a few days after graduation.
Our favorite time of year....Basketball season.
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