Happiness Is an Old Friend

I have a lot of wonderful friendships, but the ones most dear to me are probably my college friendships. I spent my growing-up years moving fairly frequently, and since that was in the days before email, cell phones, and free long distance, I lost touch with most people.

But then came college. Baylor is the only school I've ever attended from start to finish. That alone does something to cement friendships when you can be freshmen and seniors together. The sorority helped, too. Sisterhood forevermore and all that. Then, of course, there is the experience of going through the first grown-up relationships together. The break-ups. The engagements. The general angst that comes with knowing that the next boy you date could very well become your husband.

My friends and I did pretty well at staying in touch right after college graduation. But then grown-up jobs, weddings, children all started to take over, and keeping up just became harder.

But I still love them all, even if we rarely talk.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of getting together with my friend Jill. You know have a good friend when you could both date the same boy in college (at different times, of course) and remain friends. And be in the wedding party of the friend who married the boy! (Jill married him. I didn't meet mine until after college.) We hadn't seen each other in a few years, but it was like time hadn't passed. Well, except for the fact that we were comparing our gray hairs! And she has pictures of children who belong to her on her mantel. But otherwise, it's all the same.

Our picture from our day together (taken at arms length, unfortunately):



We just hung out, ate lunch (with pie!), and talked, but it was wonderful. Old friends are the best!