8th Grade

Picture this...8th grade, Friday after school in April..only 3 more weeks of school and you are done with middle school forever!!!

5 of your favorite friends get off of the bus at your house and you have snacks, laugh, and get ready for a fun Friday night of being 14 and carefree!!! Now picture this group of girls in 20 years still calling each other to share stories about work, marriage, children or just something that reminded you of how special your friendship was because it started back when you were 14 hanging in the backyard on a Friday after school!!!

I recently had the thrill of meeting a high school friend and we both had our 14 year old daughters with us. We buzzed about town and had a really fun lunch.  All of us far away from home  coming together to celebrate a friendship between two girls that first met when they were 14!!!

 As Emily and I got Hallie and her 5 friends to model the Healing Knots Graduation bracelets it made me realize how wonderful it felt to feel friendship in the air.  The laughter, the all talking at the same time, the leggings and big t-shirts.  As I looked at these gorgeous young women loving the moment with each other I could not help but ponder which of these girls will be in my daughter’s life when she herself has a 14 year old?  Which of these girls will stay friends and be there for each other when their heart is broken or they lose someone or something and they need comfort.  These are the friendships that start at this very young age and stay in your heart forever.

Meeting my friend and her daughter in Houston reminded me of those days of talking on the phone until midnight....what in the world could we have had to talk about for so many hours.  And the boyfriends, stories about our siblings, parents that we have lost...all of it a piece of our history that we hold for each other. 

These are the heart connections that keep us going when so much happens to us.  When we get married, when we start a new job, when marriages end, parents die, life throws a big fat curve ball.  When you have not spoken in years and you make that phone call because this one friend will answer and you will pick up where you left off and it will feel like you haven’t missed a beat.  These friendships from long ago can appear and repair your soul like no other!!!

My friend and her daughter flew back to Alabama and of course, she had a bracelet on her wrist. I wanted her to know that I am always with her and that our hearts are close even though we live miles apart.That bracelet on her right wrist will hug her wrist like I wish I could hug her neck whenever she needs to feel supported.

The Healing Knots bracelet that each of these girls were wearing yesterday reminded me of how precious it is to have a friend to “hold” your secrets, your heart and the memories that no one else knows about when you grow up and move on.

Here is to friends that we have known for a long time. Here is to graduating from 8th grade and feeling on top of the world.  But, most of all here is to friends that stay with you forever and love you no matter what!