Some words are only spoken face-to-face. That's one reason time with friends from far away is so precious.
I still call the girls I hung out
with in junior high friends. We shared teachers and sodas and french fries and
walks home and crushes and all the in between.
There is Maria, lover of Lucas (the
flavored salt candy) and all spicy / salty Mexican candy that I really do not
consider to be candy. She fights for what she wants and lives hard and keeps
going no matter what. She battled leukemia in the beginning of high school.
When the diagnosis came, she was close to death's door but by God's grace she
fought hard and her body healed; though the entire time we hardly understood
the severity. At fifteen death was foreign and far off and we assumed she would
be back and she was, rocking an awesome wig and her ever contagious smile.
Then there is Sara. She once was
a rebel without a cause but truly likes to stay in line; once shedding tears
over getting a B on a math test. She was the first to leave and gave birth to
the sweetest boy before graduation. She has known the darkness and loss and
drugs but she knows what it is like to be on the opposite side, to get clean
and back on her feet and fight for her baby. She is a rock star of a mom and determined
to finish what she has started and does it grace.
Kristina is our token Asian friend and we
share the same family heritage of adobo and rice. Her beautiful, long, straight
black hair and denim skirts were her staples, until Senia cut it off. I had
passed them to Senia, not wanting to be the one responsible for cutting off her
rules and religion. She and Senia turned me on to thrift stores on our trip to
Goodwill to purchase her first pair of pants, brown and straight leg that fit
like they were made for her. She is one of the best writers I know and truly
has the sweetest heart and best intentions. She once took care of a boyfriend
who smashed his face while skateboarding. Enough said.
Then there's Senia. She and I didn't hit it
off too well in the beginning and I thought she hated me. Naturally, I had to
ask Sara if she did and once we got it all sorted out we went on to sharing more
cake and ice cream and drinks and late nights than I can remember. She is
killer with a paint brush and baking and knows how to handle a pair of scissors
and hair. She was my stylist throughout high school and I have always admired
her ability to cut and dye her own hair.
And then after high school, we met Julie, the
sister of my sister's then boyfriend. She is funny and a talented artist and so
awesome that we almost forget she did not roam C hall with us or pile in to
Senia's navy blue, Chevy Malibu to go to lunch. Julie is always calm and
collected and one of the best listeners I know. She knows every Weezer song and
is amazing with a tattoo gun, even on herself. She is 100% in whatever she does
and loyal; she always shows up and is where she says she will be, even if it
means changing her own tire in the dark on the side of the road to get there.
We have lived across state lines and in
various cities but the commonality and thread is always there, no matter how
long it has been since our last gathering. There is nothing like getting
together with laughter and conversations, especially over cake.
Here's to being face-to-face and friendship.
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This is part of a 365 day blogging series through Savor by Shauna Niequist. If you would like to blog along, whether daily or weekly, I would love to have you for the journey; be sure to link back to the post. And if you are not a blogger, you can join along, too. Just leave your response and answers in the comments.