"Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold" - some girl scout song.
My friend Steph hosted a get together of my highschool friends at her house this past weekend. I'm so sad to not have been able to attend. You can see some sweet 'before' photos of us in HS along w/ a nice 'after' shot from the weekend on her blog HERE.
Her post got me thinking back on all of the great people that have both come in and out of my life and those that have stuck around for the long haul. We're all spread out all over the place, but thanks to email and blogs we are able to keep in touch pretty regularly.
These people have helped form and shape me into who I am today and many have seen me through some pretty ugly (and I'm not just talking the "ugly phase" of junior high) times. I'm so thankful to those that stuck by me through dark/ugly times and recognized that 1. it was a phase and that 2. I really NEEDED them more then than I did when I was my 'normal' self. (you know who you are and what I'm referring to! THANKS)
I can see pockets of time and groups of people from each of those times in my life... some overlap... like the girls above... some dating back as far as elementary school, then to junior high, then high school, college and now today ... via email mostly, but hey we do what we can.
Then there are my college pals that I still talk w/ frequently and get together w/ as often as I can... then my "seattle" friends... some of which aren't currently in Seattle. Also called my 'running' friends. I still "run" with them every time I'm out there reliving different runs and using them - still - to pull me through tough runs.
And today in my new home I make new 'mom' friends (I REALLY promise I don't intentionally label my friends... I'm only referring to pockets of my life as things happen... now a lot of you have joined the 'mom' friends too).
I make new friends, but I do my damnedest to keep the old... I hold so much value in each and every one of your friendships and I go to each and every one of you for support, laughs, tears, hugs and inspiration ... so forth and so on.
Thank you for being you... for being great... and for being my friends! I love you all!
(Shannon, can I start crying now!? ha ha)
I found myself day dreaming about a big party where I could get all these great women together in one spot... maybe my big 4-0!? ha ha
That's funny that you call us your "seattle or running" friends. I interchange "running" friends and "coffee" friends because in the end it was more of the "coffee" than "running".
ReplyDeleteI too relive those runs and all the other memories we've made together. I miss you so much!!
I miss you too . . . as well as our runs and coffee dates. Where does life go? Time just speeds up and gets faster every year. My secret hope is that we will all be back in Seattle again for your big 4-0. Then we can invite all of your friends there for a big party. :)
ReplyDeleteLet's start planning it so that we HAVE to be back AT LEAST by then. I think we'll be back - at least to the PNW - before then. ha :)
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to find the picture of my 7th grade b-day party...it must be at my mom's...I'll post it as soon as I find it!!!
ReplyDelete