Truths: The Importance of a Best Friend

This weekend was amazing. My friend, Kelly, (Check out her blog at kellypolark@blogspot.com) and I took a road trip to my cabin up north for the weekend.

Kelly and I have been best friends since I can remember and it all started over 30 years ago!!!

We grew up in the same neingborhood (as our other best friend, MaryKate – now in Spain) and we spent nearly every summer day together and every weekend while we were growing up.

Kelly’s mom used to joke that Kelly was part of our family and not theirs.

From Barbie dolls, to swimming, to raising a pair of ducks named Daisy and Donald, of course! And later, boys and dates and prom..which also meant tears of joy and sadness.

We have seen each other through everything: first boyfriends, first dates, first break-ups, first proms, first ( you know), college, marriage, pregnancy, children, divorce, re-marriage, illness…you name it – we have been through it.

I cannot think of any one friend who knows more about my life than Kelly.

No, we are not the same… she loves rock and roll and I have turned into a pop junky – kind of embarrassing, I know. She can’t bear to leave her children and well, I am quite alright with it, she goes to concerts and I go to Garden Club.

No, we are not the same – but we share a history that keeps us close – we have a bond that few people ever get – and for that I am grateful.

We live close, but life gets in the way so we don’t see each other very often. Going on this weekend was a cherished opportunity for us.

And while, our lives have taken different turns – besides our shared history – we have found something new in common: writing. I am writing a non-fiction memoir of my experience with puppy mills and rescuing Thorp and Penelope and she is writing a middle grade fiction book.

It is something new – a new road that we get to travel together as we dodge the rest of the chaos in our lives.

We our able to help one another and offer up different contests and hints that we find in the profession. Most of all, we get to encourage and support each other on this newfound passion.

The weekend was full of crazy conversation, laughs and fun. We talked incessantly and just enjoyed our time together.

Friday we rode up, stopping for dinner and taking our time – to which both of our husbands couldn’t understand. They called around 9 – in disbelief that we were still an hour away from our destinantion. Its not the end point, it is the journey, right?

We talked into the night once we got to the cabin and eventually, fell prey to sleep.

The next day was lunch at my soon to be son-in laws family’s bar and grill. Kelly got to meet what will soon be my extended family. I was so happy to introduce them – because they already mean so much to me.

We left lunch and spent the next 5 hours engrossed in our writing. 5 hours of uninterrupted time that we never get at home. Not to mention we even stopped talking!

We loved it… Not only was it time to write and work on our books – we were doing it together and there was something about the karma in the room that I think made all of the difference.

Soon night fell and called upon us to go have some real fun… back to the bar and grill we went and well, without detailing the actual crazy events of the night it is safe to say that we had a blast.

We had initially thought that we would do some work on Sunday before heading home… but lets just say the our previous night’s fun differed.

Once again, the ride home was talk, talk, talk…until we pulled into my driveway and our escape came to a halt. Back to our reality…

Since yesterday, I have contemplated all of our time together – the way we can talk for nearly 48 hours without ever wondering what to say next. Or even more amazing, how we can not talk for 5 hours and yet, still feel like we shared out deepest thoughts.

I know I am lucky, fortunate and blessed to have a dear friend for over 30 years. 30 years of my life have been shared with one person who has seen me in ways no one else ever will.

She has never judged me (except for the time I kept drinking one night and she told me I had had enough! One of our only fights to date!).

She has always been there – when I was hurt, scared, wrong or sick. She has seen me at my worst and at my best and has loved me unconditionally.

While I have other friends whom I love and am thankful for – Having Kelly as a best friend for over 30 years is more than I could have ever imagined. Words could never truly explain the beauty of our friendship and the kindred spirts we have become.

Kel, I know you are reading this blog so I just want to say that I love you like the sister I never had - probably even more!