You're My Best Friend...Oh Whoa, Whoa.

My best friend...

Would you like to know about my best friend?

She's this beautiful girl, I met in kindergarten. I remember this one time, she showed me her Superwoman bra in the mini bathrooms of the kindergarten classroom. It was cute, but I was always jealous when we got older that she actually needed a bra, and I didn't.

We spent every possible weekend together. She was most usually at my house, as her parents partied more than mine did, and appreciated the free babysitting. I occasionally spent weekends at her house, but we usually went to her grandma's house. Her grandma was this really awesome lady who made us snacks and took extra special care of us. She also had this awesome bar setup downstairs with a pool table, karaoke machine, and a shuffle board thing. We had lots of fun down there, even though we never got to spend time in it as an actual bar.

When we were in the 7th grade, her dad (who worked for walmart) got transferred to a store in Colorado. I was the last person she told, because neither of us was happy about it. I was heartbroken that my best friend was going to be moving 10 hours away. Luckily, we grew up in the time of technology and were able to mail, call, and email each other pretty regularly. Beyond that, I got to spend the first spring break away with her. Then that next summer after she moved, she came back to spend the summer with me. We were pretty sick of each other after that, but it worked. When my mom took her back home after that, we got to spend time with my grandma's best friend in Denver, and we got to spend the night in a really nice hotel.

I spent the next summer with her in Colorado. It was completely different from my life with my parents, as her parents were divorced by this time and had joint custody. Even when her mom was at home, she worked overnight as a nurse and slept until noon each day. The amount of supervision we had was minimal, and if we wanted to go somewhere, we rode bikes or walked.

Because she still had family around, she came to visit frequently and even came to our Senior prom, while Chance and I went to see her for Spring break and my mom and I went to her high school graduation. In June of that year, she came to visit her uncle, and ended up staying with me and my parents for a bit. It was during that time that she and Chance and I decided to get a house together.

We lived together for one year, and she moved to Oklahoma City, I moved home with my parents, and Chance joined the Navy. We still stayed close, even though she was living an hour away. We saw each other often.

In the Winter of 2007, her grandmother, the one I talked about before, passed away. I spent an several days with her, trying to console her in anyway I could. I took her wherever she needed to go, even if it was just somewhere to get away from her family for a little while. She got into a really big fight with her dad right after that, and moved back to Colorado with her mom and brother.

For a stretch of two years, the visits were less often. She was rebuilding her life there, and only came to visit two or three times. When Archer was born she came to the hospital to meet him and see us. She even cleaned my house and took care of our dogs while we were away.

In 2009 she, her mom and brother moved back to Oklahoma. I'm so glad to have her back close again. We try to see each other each month, as she still lives in the OKC area. It's not always possible, but every time I go very long without seeing her really make me sad.

Charity and Giving

Let me introduce you to my friend today. We'll call her Wilma.

Wilmla is someone I have known since college. We weren't necessarily friends then, but I knew of her and had a few classes with her. From the outside, she was perfect. Her hair was always pristinely blonde, no or dark roots. Her clothes were expensive. My first class with her was a summer class, and she was always tan, and just perfect looking. She drove a brand new Yukon Denali. Loaded. She was just perfect.

She seemed on the edge of snotty, she didn't go out of her way to talk to people. She had a friend from high school that was in all of the same classes with her, with the exception of the summer class, and she talked to her, and no one else.

I didn't dislike her, but I wasn't going to be her friend because I thought she was just too perfect. My life was by no means awful, but how could someone who is so perfect have anything in common with someone like me? She was definitely the type of girl that made other girls extremely self-concious just by being in the same room as them.

I walked into our speech clinic one day, and see a little boy. He's adorable, but was not a client. I asked my supervisor who said, he was Wilma's son. I do some quick math and figure that Wilma and I are the same age, so that means this child was born during or right after high school.

I instantly liked her better. Isn't that awful?

We had a few other classes together, and I actually iniated some conversations with her, but nothing more than superficial small talk.

When I started my new job, Wilma had already been working for the same district, doing the same job as me for over a year. We emailed casually a few times, but nothing major. We didn't do lunch or talk on the phone, unless it was job related.

Another student I graduated with, who also entered the same grad program as me, was hired on two months after I was. My supervisor had said we were needing someone new, so I suggested another friend, we'll call her Betty. She was hired over the phone the next day.

Betty and I grew up in similar small towns, we were major rivals in baseball and softball. Betty and I instantly took to having lunch and hanging out in my office when we had free time. We were much more than just the friendly acquaintances Wilma and I were. I showed her the ropes a little, and we just liked to talk.

Betty ended up going to work at the same school, at the same job, in the same office at Wilma. They hit it off quickly, and we all started lunching together as much as possible.

I had so many girl friends in college and while working (before Archer was born) and I had really missed it much more than I had realized.

I went out with these girls in Bricktown. We talk on the phone daily, and recently have been having lunch at my office together, as Wilma's boyfriend's desk is right next to mine. So we all take a day and bring lunch; it's a cheaper, healthier alternative to Chili's and Atlanta Bread daily.

Yesterday, I noticed that one of my students (I only have secondary kiddos) was wearing shoes that didn't fit and were in the worst possible shape. I called around, asked my sister who has has a 17 year old son, and then I called Wilma. She has a younger brother and a boyfriend (my coworker, in case you forgot) who are both smaller than Chance so I thought maybe they might be closer to the size shoe a 13 year old boy would need.

Her response to my asking if either of them had shoes they didn't wear or couldn't fit? I'll take care of it.

See, what I left out, is that Wilma's dad is a selfmade millionaire. He worked his way from the bottom to the top. She grew up in a mansion, they take lavish trips, and they donate their time and money for the good of others.

So, my friend who used to intimidate the crap out of me, and probably made me a little jealous by her superficial perfection, is deep down a truly awesome person.

I called her last night, and she immediately took charge of the situation. Answered my problem in a way I didn't even ask for, and helped out a student in need that she didn't even know.

Now, you might be saying that she asked her dad for the money, or that it wasn't her gift, it was his. I don't know who actually paid for the shoes, which by the way, there were two pair, but she made it happen. She could have just said, my dad has money, and we pay our dues. But she didn't.

I appreciate that quality. There aren't really a lot of people who have the means, and give that willingly, at the drop of a hat. After church last night even.

So Wilma, if you read this, I'm proud of you.

Terrible Twos

Is it really time for them already?

I'm praying that the reason Archer has been such a punk is only because of his ears and not just because he's becoming a mean child.

We went to my friends birthday party today and he was by far the worst kid there. He yelled, screeched, and ran from me at any given chance. He pulled Alyvia's (the birthday girl) hair and hit another baby in the face with a ball. I was mortified.

Since Chance doesn't really know any of these people, I went alone. That was definitely torture.

I miss my sweet lovey boy.

Friends

You know those people you can really let it all hang out and be the real you around. My best friend is the kind of person that I can tell anything to. We have mutual friends, and it's not a big deal.

I have this other friend, who I love. She is literally like sunshine. the problem with that is, everyone loves her. She has more friends than I even know of people. This is the girl I have previously referred to as Alice Cullen.

I was invited to a surprise birthday party for her by her best friend from HS. She knows something is going on, not sure what exactly, but she knows of something, and begged that I come. We haven't seen each other in a few months. I would love to see her, but I'm just not sure if I fit in with the rest of her friends. We do have mutual friends, and I have met most of the ones I'm not friends with, I just am not interested in being at a dinner with a bunch of people I feel are going to stare at me, KWIM?

Hopefully, it won't be like what I am dreading. Plus my BFF is going with me for moral support!! : )