Best Friends- May 27, 2010

There are certain benefits in having moved back to my hometown.... the best reason is that great chance that I have to get to catch up with old friends when they come into town to visit their parents who also still live here! Rarely do we all make it into town at the same time, but just before Memorial Day, it happened! In high school, Darci, Kristi, and I were great friends and had a blast together starring in the school plays, singing in the choir, and performing in community theater each summer. We started a tradition just before we all left for college of having a "toast". We would get together and talk about the great things going on in our lives and our dreams for the future. I remember toasting to upcoming marriages, kids, college degrees, and a variety of other changes. Kristi was in town for a week with her little boy and we all found one afternoon when we could get together without kids and pick right back up where we left off. Our lives are all drastically different now and we are each in the middle of our own set of trials, joys, and opportunities for growth, but the friendships is the same. I love these girls!

Ironically, we had a discussion in high school and Darci and I both had strong feelings that one day we would be moms to kids with special needs. I had not thought about that for years when Darci called me to tell me that her firstborn daughter had just been diagnosed with Down's Syndrome. That conversation floated back into my head, but at the time, I was still unmarried and hardly even thinking about kids. A few year later, Kristi had her firstborn son and over the last few years, have discovered that Luke also has some special needs. Fast forward two more years and Grant comes into our lives. Three for three...each of our firsts are born with their own unique set of special needs. If that doesn't solidify a friendship, I don't know what does! We used to talk about boys, college plans, and auditions for the next big production. Now we talk about developmental therapies, medical terminology, state programs, and the small things we do to feel sane in our crazy lives! Once Kyle got home from work, we were able to snatch a quick photo to document that we got together. I always look forward to holidays to see how many of our old friends are coming for a visit so we can get together. If you are coming to town, let me know!!
The times may have changed, but the girls are the same!