If you’re a woman in your 50’s or almost there, you grew up in the 80’s. And if you did, I’m willing to bet photos of your teenage self might reveal
- a bad perm
- pin-striped jeans
- giant earring and sky-high bangs
- you swearing eternal love to Simon LeBon or Corey Hart
- that highly visual Goth phase late in your teens
Some of those women might still be your best friends today.
If you’re lucky enough to have a best friend that’s been there for such a long time, you have a pal who’s not going anywhere. You have someone who’s seen you through many stages in life.
You have HISTORY.
You have someone who reminds you of your horrible fashion faux pas when you get too high and mighty.
You have someone who’s quick to remind you of your tragic crush on that cute guy in computer class.
There’s no photos of me with my Farrah Fawcett hairstyle on the Internet (thank God). And those photos of the male dancers for R’s 25th birthday live only in my scrapbook.
Sadly, these days kids are at risk of having any embarrassing moment uploaded to YouTube within minutes. There’s always someone with a smart phone ready to record that awful moment they want to forget. I’m incredibly grateful I didn’t have that growing up, because there were some BAD, embarrassing moments.
So while there’s a lot of visuals of me I’d rather not dig up, I can’t help but be really glad that those moments DID happen and that my best friend was there to laugh with me. She knows where I’ve come from. She knows where I’ve been. And she knows the person I’ve become over time. Just as I know her.
So having friendships that last this long have double benefit: there is an actual record of your activities (and misdeeds?). And there’s someone there ready to laugh with you as you reminisce.
I hope this September you reach out and reconnect...and laugh together at some of those fun moments.