I don't remember the exact moment we declared ourselves best friends but I do remember how it all started.
We were sitting at the dinner table, a brown circular faux wood with some type of slick covering. Mom never minded if we spilled and I doubt I even knew what a coaster was. My dad had changed from his professor clothes to his at home clothes-a white t-shirt and faded jeans from Sears & Roebuck. We were probably eating goulash or tuna fish and peas on toast and talking about our day.
My older sister had been invited to spend the night at Annie Mullins house. I would have been in first or second grade. I probably begged and pleaded about it not being fair and thought I should spend the night at a friend's house too. My mom must have explained to me how it is rude to invite yourself to someone's house.
In the end, my parents decided I could invite a friend to spend the night. We called Becky King first. She lived on The Lane and we played together somewhat regularly. Our moms were on committees together and always talked for hours and hours when they walked us over to one another's house. Her dad was a brain surgeon and she had a big brother. I always wanted a big brother. She wasn't at the spend the night with friends stage yet.
We moved on to Kelly Tucker. My mom was one of the Brownie leaders and her mom would stay sometimes to help with a craft. She had a little brother and was a bit of a bragger and bossy but I was willing to endure if it meant having someone SPEND THE NIGHT. She was going to see her Grandma in Louisville for the weekend.
I wanted to call Katie Adams because she lived a few houses down and she had a humongous jukebox in her bedroom. Her parents were divorced which I didn't really understand. All I knew was that someone gave her parents a jukebox for a wedding present and they didn't live together anymore so Katie and Wendy got to play records whenever they wanted. I couldn't call her though since Wendy was my sister's friend and my sister was spending the night at Annie's house and it probably would hurt her feelings.
Mom got out the PTA directory and we started going through the list. We were almost to the end of the alphabet when we landed on Abby. My mom knew everyone and everyone knew her. She was room mom, PTA mom, Brownie Scout leader and gymnastics teacher. We called Abby and our moms talked. I don't remember how well I knew Abby before that. I don't know if we played together on the playground or sat next to each other at lunch. I don't know if we went to each other's birthday parties.
All I know is that our lives and many others were forever altered by our friendship.
Check out the birthday party at Yeah Write
We were sitting at the dinner table, a brown circular faux wood with some type of slick covering. Mom never minded if we spilled and I doubt I even knew what a coaster was. My dad had changed from his professor clothes to his at home clothes-a white t-shirt and faded jeans from Sears & Roebuck. We were probably eating goulash or tuna fish and peas on toast and talking about our day.
My older sister had been invited to spend the night at Annie Mullins house. I would have been in first or second grade. I probably begged and pleaded about it not being fair and thought I should spend the night at a friend's house too. My mom must have explained to me how it is rude to invite yourself to someone's house.
In the end, my parents decided I could invite a friend to spend the night. We called Becky King first. She lived on The Lane and we played together somewhat regularly. Our moms were on committees together and always talked for hours and hours when they walked us over to one another's house. Her dad was a brain surgeon and she had a big brother. I always wanted a big brother. She wasn't at the spend the night with friends stage yet.
We moved on to Kelly Tucker. My mom was one of the Brownie leaders and her mom would stay sometimes to help with a craft. She had a little brother and was a bit of a bragger and bossy but I was willing to endure if it meant having someone SPEND THE NIGHT. She was going to see her Grandma in Louisville for the weekend.
I wanted to call Katie Adams because she lived a few houses down and she had a humongous jukebox in her bedroom. Her parents were divorced which I didn't really understand. All I knew was that someone gave her parents a jukebox for a wedding present and they didn't live together anymore so Katie and Wendy got to play records whenever they wanted. I couldn't call her though since Wendy was my sister's friend and my sister was spending the night at Annie's house and it probably would hurt her feelings.
Mom got out the PTA directory and we started going through the list. We were almost to the end of the alphabet when we landed on Abby. My mom knew everyone and everyone knew her. She was room mom, PTA mom, Brownie Scout leader and gymnastics teacher. We called Abby and our moms talked. I don't remember how well I knew Abby before that. I don't know if we played together on the playground or sat next to each other at lunch. I don't know if we went to each other's birthday parties.
All I know is that our lives and many others were forever altered by our friendship.
31 comments:
Such a perfect example of how timing and chance can lead to the best friendships. I'm glad you found each other! Your blog looks different. I like the wider layout of the text :)
This is a great story about friendship. I like how you ended it too, I can imagine the impact this friendship has had!
I like the new look too. It feels like it is all about the writing. Which, I am pretty sure it is.
Yes timing is everything. I often wonder if I ever told her that story. Glad you like the new look :) I am utterly clueless about layout but i did my best.
Thank you. Our lives definitely took some twists and turns along the way. Glad you like the new & improved look.
Oh I love a good friendship post. I love all the details here-- the peas on toast gave me a good memory. And the Sears & Roebuck jeans. Thank you for sharing!
Friendship through coincidence - so many great ones start that way.
I like the new look too, it's very clean.
This was great Robbie. A very sweet memory. You had a very good and patient mom to have pulled out the PTA book. I usually stop when the first three attempts at finding a friend strike out. So neat that you remember so clearly how you came to know a BFF. It does also make me realize how the little things in our child's lives stick with them forever. Sometimes I feel like I'm a bit too impatient.
Oh, love! The best of friendships can start under the most random circumstances!
Love this! What a wonderful memory and tribute to the randomness of lasting friendship. And "Altered" is the perfect title!
This post reminds me of one of Kellie's lines: "Strangers are friends you haven't met yet."
Love this! What a great story and I'm so glad that you have such a great friend as a result of it!
I love that your elementary school friend is still with you today. I moved back to my hometown after leaving shortly after high school. Twenty five years had passed. It was strange how these people who were my church and school friends felt so comfortable to be around. What was the most special is that I no longer had hard shell Baptist beliefs, they did but they were OK with it.
Great story!! How funny that one night of hanging out together can create such a long term friendship!
I love the little details of how the other girls weren't available. It makes it seem like fate.
That is how I met my best friend of 21 years, too - random fate. :) What a great story!
That is so neat that you remember exactly how your friendship started like that. Amazing how the smallest decisions sometimes have the biggest impact.
Tuna fish & peas on toast sounds so random now but it was one of my favorite meals. Thanks for reading.
Thanks on both accounts!
I struggle with patience too..especially the older y children get. I'm always a bit surprised how I can recall some of the tiny details but can't recall specifics of the REALLY BIG STUFF.
Yes they definitely can!
Thanks so very much. Our lives definitely changed drastically from knowing each other.
I love that line.
Thank you. It's amazing how random moments can change everything.
It's definitely been an interesting ride. Isn't funny how things can change and yet stay the same..even 25 years later?
Thank you. our lives were very much intertwined after this--but that is another story...a few more stories.
It does..doesn't it?
Random fate is a perfect description.
Thanks & you sum it up wonderfully-smallest decisions have the biggest impact.
Crazy how something like the first few on the list not being able to come ended up with a real friendship. :)
Yes it is. I often wonder how differently things would have turned out if one of the other girls had been able to spend the night.
Aww that is so sweet. I love that your mom kept going down the list for you. TALU
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