BFF

I got a phonecall the other day from an old friend.  She was in full-blown meltdown mode, and needed to talk.  She vented for a bit, I supported, we had a laugh, she felt better.  Love you, bye. 

When I got off the phone I was struck once again at how close we've remained after all these years.  We were best friends in highschool, but since then our lives have taken different paths.  We've stayed in touch, but really only see eachother a few times a year, even though we live only about thirty minutes from eachother.  Sometimes weeks go by when we don't hear from eachother.  But when shit gets bad (and let's face it, shit does occasionally get bad), she's the first person I turn to, and vise-versa.  And we just pick up where we left off like we haven't missed a beat, confindent in knowing the other will understand.  I never have to pause and wonder, "what will she think of me?" or "is this too embarassing to talk about?"  No judgement, no conditions.

I've had other friends over the years; friends that I see and talk to far more often.  But none of them have ever really come close, and I'm not sure why that is.  Maybe there's something about knowing where one comes from - who they were before they were a grown-up.  Or maybe it's because we grew up together, starting out little more than children and blossoming into young women.  When I think about it we really went through a lot together in those high school years - from first cars to first loves.  Maybe our influence on each other sculpted the people we became.  Who knows?  But whatever bond we created seems unaffected by time and space.

I'm pretty sure we'll still be counting on one another when we're old and wrinkled.  What a comforting thought.