Here's to old friends

I ran across this old photo today while I was de-cluttering. It's my "best good friend" (to put it Forrest Gump's way) Ginger and me, just a few short weeks after we became friends, which was right at ten years ago now. We went together to the "Fiesta on the River" event put on by the Residence Hall Association, and we were among the few who did. (As I recall, everyone else was camped out watching a new episode of Friends.) We had a fun time being goofy, watching the Folklorico dancers, and just enjoying the company of a new friend. That was back when I was leaving my dorm room unlocked at night so Gin could slip in to make sure I had gotten up for our 8:00 Old Testament class. That was back when Gin was the only girl I knew who drove a truck. Before we had laughed and cried collective hours together. Before the night we stayed up until the Wal-Mart store would let us have discarded boxes at 5AM, and we collected some scary "followers" at the Whataburger, where we had camped out to have shakes while we waited, trying to stay awake so we wouldn't miss our chance for free boxes. Before we decided to pledge APO together. Before Britt came into my life and challenged our fresh bond. Before Ginger's crazy suitemate threatened to have her hit man boyfriend kill her. Before Mema broke her leg right before Christmas, and I had to talk Gin into not driving 2 hours to be with me during my sadness. Before she decided to take a leap of faith and sign an apartment lease with me. Before all the boyfriends. Before footlong chili dogs from Sonic while Britt spent a semester in Europe. Before opening Jell-O boxes together, knowing one of us would be the unlucky one to find the ant family plaguing our pantry. Before all the cricket houses (cups, bowls, plates--whatever we could put over the crickets in our apartment until Britt would come kill them for us). Before dead batteries and lost keys. Before Gin's curriculum craziness and student teaching. Before her graduation. Before I was married; before she was a teacher. Before she came back for grad school. Before I finally graduated too! Before she patiently walked countless slow laps with me at the gym while I was fat pregnant. Before I was a mother. She was there. Before she graduated with a Master's Degree, and my daughter was there. Before she decided to move to Virginia where we were moving...and back again. Before my family settled comfortably into the law school years. Before she finally found Mr. Right and started planning her own wedding. Before. She was my friend before...before so many things we have known and so many things we have yet to know. It's wonderful making new friends, but it's so much more satisfying when you can look back long later and realize how much someone who was once just a new friend has actually been through with you...and she is not just any friend any more, but on old, dear friend. Your dearest friend. A friend who just gets you. A friend who just knows what you think without your saying your opinion. A friend you can count on to love you anyway, annoying idiosyncracies, faults, and all. In this picture are two girls who thought they were sooo grown up, who had so much left to learn and so much friendship and life ahead of them...together.

I love you, Ginger! Happy 10-Year Anniversary!