An Old Friend

Last night my friend's daughter was in a dance performance not too far away from our home, so I took my children to watch.

I have known this friend since high school.  We knew each other when friendship meant hanging out on the weekends and sharing a locker and laughing and crying about boys and friend dramas. We have been friends through our college years, early career years and now our mommy years.  We have been friends through the best and worst of times.  Months can go by now before we talk (a side effect of being in the mommy years), but when we get together, it is like no time has passed.  We know each other's history and family and strengths and weaknesses.

When we arrived (just a few minutes late, so I am going to count that as on time), my friend spotted me right away.  She was in the back, corralling the dancers and supervising the ones waiting to perform.  We shared a brief smile and greeting and I ushered my children in to watch the performance (already underway). As I sat there watching her sweet daughter perform, I thought about how times have changed.  This friend, who I went to high school with, almost 20 years ago, is a mom.  And I am a mom.  And we do mom things! When did that happen?!?!?

It means the world to me to have friends I share a history with...friends who knew me before I was a mom...friends who saw me come into my own...friends who know my struggles and successes...friends I have grown up with.  I think we grow up twice.  We grow from a child to an adult...and then we grow up again...and here we are...together...still friends.