friends are friends forever

Honestly, that song drives me crazy. But, when you really sit down and listen to the words, it's quite a pretty song. It's just overplayed and old. Maybe Michael should update it to a more...21st century sound, aye?

Proverbs 17:17 says "A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity." I don't know how long I have known that verse. My whole life it seems. But, I think in high school, for me atleast, I have really learned to know the true definition of friend. When I was in 6th grade, I learned the hard way that just because you know someone and hang out with them doesn't mean they're your friend. And, I learned at the tender age of 11, that people will turn on you in the blink of an eye, and things will never be the same. Looking back on that situation that I went through, I thank God for it. Because, now, I look at my friendships with great appreciation. It is no matter to me what that person did to me years ago, because the friends I have now are of far more importance to me than she ever would have been. But, last year being my first time in a school with lockers, changing classes and all that that implies, I was a bit insecure to say that least. Thank God that my best friend had come to the school a semester before me, because I could not have survived without her. But, looking back over my freshman year of high school, I think the only thing I will remember are the encounters I had with friends and how easily I dealt with the conflict, no doubt due to the rough experiences I had had early on in my life.

My mom told me once that the friends you make in childhood will most likely not be around in highschool, and the friends you make in highschool not in college. She hardly even talks to the people she went to college with, anymore. And I took that to heart, but with a slight determination to prove her wrong. I don't doubt that I will lose touch with many if not most of my high school friends. But, even so, the friends you make in high school are the ones that are going to be there when you walk down in front of all your piers and receive your diploma. They're the ones who are going to share in your laughter and in your tears when you depart to go across the country to various colleges. And, chances are, in college, you won't be able to talk about those memories with anyone at college, because they didn't share them with you. So, why high school friends maybe just that - fleeing at the first chance of freedom - they are still vital to your health in high school, not to mention your GPA in some cases. For those who got through high school without friends, I applaud you. I cannot imagine it. I cannot imagine the first day of school without my best friend being there, much less 4 years of high school without anyone to rely on.

I said all of that to tell you about my best friend, Katie. I have a couple of best friends, but Katie is the one whom I have known since the age of 1, we have been in school together at the same schools every year except for seventh and eighth grade (during which we lost touch and I was devastated), there are pictures of us in ballet class wearing our tights and leotards and our butts look huge because of our apparently worthless Huggies, we had plans to get our ears pierced together since the time we were about 8 and our mom's told us we had to be 13 before we could have holes in our earlobes (Her mom ended up relenting and surprising her on her 12th birthday and the January before my May birthday, my mom relented as well), we used to take baths together and play with our naked barbies, we lived off of our American Girl Dolls, always "taking them to the mall" or "throwing a surprise birthday party", etc, etc...her older sister was just as much my enemy as she was hers and Katie and I would make evil plots against her, and when she still lived in her old house, Katie used to tell me stories about her neighbors that lived behind her who kidnapped little kids and would torture them until they screamed (I still wonder where she came up with that). There are countless memories between Katie and me. Katie and I wrote a song once (actually, she wrote it. I kind of butted in one afternoon and like to say I helped her write it :-p) and we performed it for our homeschool group. :eek: I can't believe I ever did that! Katie and I have been through a lot together, but after these 14 years of non stop laughter and evil plots and song writing, we have never had a serious conflict. I guess it's what Anne of Green Gables would refer to as "bosom buddies" but I think it may be something even deeper than that. I think having the love of God as the foundation of our friendship makes a difference, but on another note, it could just be the fact that our love for each other is unconditional and unintentional. After all, our parents hooked us up... :shrug:

Katie is my best friend. And once again, I have several best friends, but at the moment I am referring to Katie. She has touched my life in more ways than she knows. She's always smiling and always has something nice to say, even when she's thinking something mean. We have watched each other grow physically, mentally and spiritually and now we are to the point where we can just stay up late in deep conversation, spilling our guts with each other. For instance, night before last. Katie and I hadn't seen each other but one afternoon all summer, because I got home from Europe and she left for camp for a month two days later. I went over and talked to her while she was packing, but that just wasn't good enough. I was aching to see her. She came over and we literally stayed up into the late night chatting about random things, then talking seriously about our spiritual lives, our...boy...issues (Or, mine. Katie, lucky one she is, has not confessed to having boy issues just yet), and what really bothers us that no one else might know. And, talking with her, I couldn't help but realize that she is the defintion of a best friend. Someone you can openly talk to, someone who gives you a shoulder to cry on and that you in turn will gladly give yours back, someone who will always be there for you through thick and thing...and I realized at that moment as I have considered before but I felt a sense of peace and reassurance that Katie and I will always be friends. After high school, after college, after marraige, even if I'm living in China and she in Alaska, we will always be friends. And for our friendship, Michael's song just rings so true to me...

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the lord of them
And a friend will not say never
'Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends...

Thank you, Katie. I love you, tater tots! :D

And thank you to all of my friends who have stuck by me and have touched me in more ways that you can imagine. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

God bless,
lv