Friendship

I'd like to tell you about someone very special to me. We met when we were both 13 years old and unknowingly interested in the same guy - an older guy at that. He not only was not deserving of either of us, but he wasn't smart enough to figure out that she and I were smarter together than he could ever be in his wildest dreams. Gary (yes, I remember your name) ... I hope you've smartened up over the years.

But I digress. Back to what I wanted to share. Robin has been a dear, best friend to me over the years for many reasons. She was there when I was being abused (even though she wasn't aware of it), she provided the friendship, support and great distraction that I so desperately needed.

That's 40 years of friendship. Oh, we haven't always been in contact with each other. Things have happened to cause a rift, but always we've managed to maintain that feeling of closeness and have come back together as if there were no years, no hurts, no disappointments.

Robin has always been the one ... the only one ... I knew would accept me unconditionally. I depended on her for her honesty and her abiding friendship regardless of the miles between us or the last time we spoke.

She carries a part of me that is precious to me because most families do that for each other. She does it for me. She carries a great part of my memories and history. She remembers things I don't, and she can share the memories I do have. We have a great time going back and remembering things that were packed away. I can't do that with anyone else. To anyone reading this, I hope you realize how precious it is to have someone to share such memories with. She rekindles forgotten times when she and I had so much fun, barely stayed out of trouble, and just generally did what teenage girls did 40 years ago.

It had been 30 years since the last time we'd seen each other. Although we'd spoken on the phone hundreds of hours worth, we hadn't visited eye to eye. Finally, an opportunity came up that I could not let pass. My son and I made our way to her home, across country, and the great friend that she is, she opened her home to us, and her heart to my son. She embraced him as if she'd known him all his life. But then, I would not have expected anything different from her.

I guess the moral of this story is the power of true friendship. It transcends time and distance. If you have someone in your life who speaks to your heart as she has to mine, tell them. Don't wait. You may not have a tomorrow, and neither may they. Do it now. Pick up the phone … don't use email, the voice is so much more powerful. But do it today.