A story about old friends growing old together
I have, for the most part, had the same people in my life for as long as I can remember. I am blessed beyond reason to have a close knit group of friends who have become my family. Some I don’t get to see as much as I would like, but no matter the time, it never seems like a day has gone by since we last saw one another. This weekend, I got to go visit a couple that has helped me become the person I am more than they probably could have guessed.
I met Jonathan when we were Freshmen in College. We reminisced about the first time we ever met. My roommate and I had just discovered our mutual love for all things emo, especially Dashboard Confessional when I looked over and saw a HELLO sign floating in my dorm window. We went upstairs to explored where the above mentioned sign floated from and met Jon and his roommate Bobby.
We went through our first year making memories and becoming besties. We talked a lot about our mishaps in life. We ventured to every party together. We wondered drunk around the campus signing songs, and generally did what Freshman did best; be annoying with our new found freedom. When I left second semester for Florida and during that time, Jonathan then met Rachel.
Of course when I first heard of this magical girl that Jon was convinced he would marry, I was eager to meet her. She must be amazing. And he was right. When I came back to school, she and I became fast friends. It was as easy as breathing with me and her. We were very different in temperament, but her decisive, strong willed personality was a perfect balance to my more laid back one. I feel like I grew a backbone from seeing how she reacted to things in life. She showed me the wonders of Moulin Rouge (after I adamantly said NO more times than I can count). We grew up together. We spent hours talking about life and the future. She became a sister to me.
These two humans have been more supportive than I could possibly have ever thought. They are encouraging and cheer me on in my endeavors. They are the type of people that will always be there if they are needed. I am so happy to call them my friends.
Since our years in college, we have grown. We have learned life. We both got married and had children. Most importantly though, we remained friends. Due to COVID, prior to this weekend, it had been over a year since I saw them last. That is unacceptable. They are my people. You don’t go that long without seeing your people. So naturally, what do I do when I go places to visit people I love? I take my camera! And we had a blast. Literally, the wind blasted us from our feet (Maryville wind is a thing).
Their daughter and I bonded over art and her love for playing cats is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. We played and laughed and she gave me a gallery of new art for my fridge. I got to talk about life again with my family. I also learned that pizza on the grill is far superior to pizza in the oven! All in all it was an amazing day.
