The past few weeks, I have felt the strongest desire to reconnect with some of my closest friends from the past - friends who really had a great impact on my life. Facebook has made this easier than I ever thought possible. It is an incredible resource. Because I lived overseas and attended an International School, my friends are very literally spread out over across the globe. And yet, this past week, as we have all been posting “old school” pictures from back in the day and laughing and commenting about fun memories we made together, it seems like we are all in the same room, instead of thousands and thousands of miles apart. What an absolutely incredible day and age we live in where technology has made this enormous world seem so very small. Just yesterday, I was able to talk to Mariska, one of my very dearest friends from the International School via Skype. It was completely free and with the use of our webcams, we were able to see each other and visit with no delays, as if we were very literally sitting across from each other at my kitchen table, even though I am here in Utah and she is currently living in Cyprus, the third-largest Mediteranean island and a country situated south of Turkey, north of Egypt and east-southeast of Greece. It had been 14 years since I had seen or spoken with her and we chatted and laughed so hard for almost an hour…as if no time had passed. The blessings of renewed friendships as a result of today’s technology is overwhelming to me.
This past week, I was able to spend time with three people who meant absolutely the world to me during my college years and whose friendship was such a great gift and support to me. I will start with my friend Kate , who I still affectionately call “Katika,” like I did over 10 years ago when we met in early 1998. I can pretty much count my girlfriends from that time of my life on half of one hand. I had many guy friends, but didn’t really have that close girlfriend that every girl needs (let alone a GROUP of girls)….until I met Kate. The way we met is a funny story, but I will just sum it up by saying that I am positive my Heavenly Father brought us together. Kate and I were crazy. Absolutely crazy. We had so much fun together. We had such a fun and open and honest friendship without any jealousy or competitiveness or any of the things that from a spectator’s view could be seen in many “girlfriend relationships” at that age…which is most likely why I was never interested in seeking friendship with girls until this one FOUND me. I won’t give details, because those times are in the past and the details aren’t as important for the general reader of my blog. But I will say that we absolutely made the most of every single moment! We spent that year CONSTANTLY together, and it seemed even from the very first moment, that we had known each other forever.
A little over a year after we met, Kate left to serve an LDS Mission in England and I met, dated and married Chas while she was away. We wrote each other a little bit, but not as regularly as we should of…and we both regret that now. She returned home after I was married and we saw each other at her Welcome Home and then kind of lost contact. We were in different stages of life and we both moved on. But Kate was never really able to make her way out of my heart….our friendship was too important to me – unforgettable really. A little while after we moved into this house, almost 7 years ago, she dropped by while she was in town and we visited. It was so great to see her…but then we fell out of touch again until almost 2 ½ years ago when we went out to dinner. And the past 2 ½ years have FLOWN. I couldn’t believe that it had really been that long. The past few months, we’ve been trying to get together and it just never really seemed to happen. This past week, as I was posting pictures from my past, I found a whole bunch of me and ‘Katika” and had to add those as well. We chatted back and forth and laughed ourselves to tears at some of the pictures we had taken back then. I remember doing this mock modeling shoot together, just as if it were yesterday. SO hilarious seeing some of the results from that shoot.
I’m not quite sure who came up with the very creative idea to pose on fire hydrants, but I just about died when I saw our matching fire hydrant pics. And then, there’s the picture of us completely tied up in Christmas lights. *Sidenote…I loved my house I lived in all through college. I had my own private room in the basement of a house in the tree streets in Provo and had Christmas lights all over for “ambience.” I’m not sure what inspired us to wrap ourselves in the lights, but to be honest, that is not the funniest part about this picture to me. The funny thing is that we are posing like it’s a TOTALLY serious shot. LOL! It would have been one thing if we were wrapped up and pulling a funny pose or something….but that’s not the case. So funny.
After I posted a bunch of the pictures I had, Kate went and found a bunch of hers and posted them as well. I had completely forgotten about these pictures that we took at Kent’s Market when I was working there as a cashier (one of the three jobs I had in college). So hilarious. And GOODNESS…look at my waist!! Sheesh….what I wouldn’t give to reconnect with THAT WAIST. LOL!
It was such a blast to see the old pictures and post back and forth about all of the memories we made together. And in doing so, we realized just how much we missed each other…and immediately planned a night out that ended up being last night. No matter how much time passes between seeing each other, Kate and I always pick up like we have been seeing each other every single day in between the absences. And seeing her has ALWAYS instantly made me feel so happy inside. Such was the case last night as well.
We met up at Red Robin and talked the evening away, catching up with what had happened in our lives and sharing experiences and feelings about challenges and growth that had taken place since the last time we saw each other. It was during dinner that I realized why Kate is so different from any other friend I have ever had. With Kate, I can be 150% myself. Nothing is withheld and every aspect of my life is openly shared without the slightest reservation, not even questioning for a second that she 
might judge me in any way…no matter WHAT I say, no matter what I’ve done, no matter what my views and concerns, etc. Kate has always loved me for who I am. Always. I met her in my crazy years when I wasn’t really the smartest as far as my decision making went…but she loved me then, completely. She knew me when I got married and though that life change made us drift apart for a while, she loved me then, completely. She knew me when I was going through trials that I thought would absolutely break me, and she listened, never judging, and loved me then, completely. And now, ten years later, in completely different stages of our lives, we still have the strongest friendship chemistry and a connection and understanding that is simply….gosh, what is the word? I can’t even describe it. But there is almost an energy between us that just draws us together. There always has been. And now, “grown up” with new sets of trials and opportunities for growth and a great strength of character within each of us that we never could have imagined 10 years ago, and she still loves me, completely. (The waiter that took our pictures had us say "Brownies" in this picture and then didn't even wait for us to get to the "EE" in "Brownie"...resulting a "hi..it looks like we're in mid-sentence" photo. LOL!)
The past few weeks, I have been experiencing a few difficult things that have seemed “bigger than me.” Without hesitation, as it has always been between us, I completely opened up to Kate and shared everything, knowing that she would not judge me in the slightest. She has known me through so many stages of life and has seen what I have been through and I can feel that she has faith in me…and that is such an awesome feeling. And she just sat and ate and really truly LISTENED….while I talked. She didn’t cut in, she didn’t try and analize, she just sat and ate and let me talk until I was done. And when I seemed thoroughly exhausted and my food was getting cold, we took a break from my end of the stories and she said, “Ok…now you eat and I will talk.” And then she talked and I ate and I listened. And once we had both eaten, we discussed what had been said and shared our true feelings about each others’ lives and what we had learned in our past that we thought might help each other now. And we shared our testimonies of the Gospel and how our faith in Heavenly Father had helped us get through things that we felt at the time might make us crumble. This is yet another connection that I have with Kate that I have never really had with anyone…the spiritual connection and ability to very often share our feelings about Gospel matters without it feeling the least bit awkward. It flows so naturally into our conversation because it is as much a part of us as all the rest. Even now, as I sit and really type out all that I love about Kate and our friendship, I am so emotionally overwhelmed at how truly blessed I am to have her as a friend. And last night, as we sat together at dinner, we realized that our Heavenly Father truly did bring us together for a reason 10 years ago and that He had done so again at this very moment….because recently, we had both felt a need for each other and a need for the very unique friendship we have. Kate is a true testament to me that my Heavenly Father is aware of me and my needs. And I do not believe that it’s a coincidence that we were brought together again right at the moment when we have both momentarily felt a little lost or unsure of our lives and where things were headed. I know, without a doubt, my Savior loves me. Kate has always been, and still is, my own personal angel. We decided right then and there that we need each other too much to let so much time pass in between visits and already have plans to meet once a month from now on.
Not only is Kate a pure blessing as far as spiritual strength and support, but seriously..we know how to have fun!! And it was awesome to see that WE STILL DO! (Oh my goodness....LOOK at the picture above! The guy who took this pic for us actually TILTED the camera! How fab is that? LOL! NICE!) After dinner, we went and walked around at Target and even tried to reenact some of our old photos. LOL! Although blurry, I am proud to say that I can still get more AIR than Kate on my jump (so happy to see that some of my mad "volleyball outside hitter skills" just might still be inside of me somewhere..LOL)…..but TOTALLY left the fire hydrant hugging to her, since I was afraid my back would go out if I even attempted it. LOL!
After taking pics, shopping and laughing so hard about memories and people we knew “back in the day,” can you guess what we did? We went and saw MAMMA MIA!!!! Yep…the fourth time for me and the 2nd time for Kate.
And I tell ya…..sitting there in that movie with her, both of us singing every single word through the whole show, I realized that Kate and I MUST have been cut from the same cloth. I feel like our blood runs through each others’ veins. I realized last night one of the reasons (out of MANY reasons) why I do love MAMMA MIA so much. Many of the characters are also feeling a strong desire to reconnect with their past and find a part of themselves that has been missing for a long time. And I could really relate to that. “Dancing Queen” has always been surprisingly one of my LEAST favorite ABBA songs, but the way it is performed in the show has made me love it. I have teared up all four times during that song. And sitting there next to Kate, who was my friend through the years when WE were “Dancing Queens,” was absolutely priceless. And throughout more of the show when we weren’t dancing, we were sitting close, arms linked, saying just how much we truly loved each other and our friendship. At the end of the show, we stayed and sang “Thank You For The Music” into our pop bottles (another reason I love Kate…LOL!) until the very last credit had disappeared from the screen. And then we stayed there and talked and had a few gals that were still there take a picture of us and finally got up and left when they shut the lights out on us. LOL!
And then we walked arm in arm into the parking lot and talked and talked and talked and hugged and talked, made plans for next month and hugged and then and I totally feel like we had to do the “You say bye first, no you, no YOU, You hang up first, no YOU!” thing before we finally got in our cars and drove away. And then we ended up texting all the way home. (And we’re even texting right now as my tears are dropping on my keyboard. LOL!)
Kate…friends like you do not come around every day. I didn’t have many girlfriends then. But man……did I ever hit the jackpot when we met!! I love you so much. Thank you for such an awesome awesome night….for bringing back some of the incredibly awesome memories of Queen and Katika…..and especially for your strength, your spirit, your love and your support. My life is richly blessed because you are a part of it!!
And then, there were Derek & Ron. Derek was my best guy friend at BYU! Soon after Derek and I met and became such awesome friends while working at Club Tan in Provo, I met Derek’s friend Ron and hit it off with him right away as well and we stayed friends during my time at the Y. Both Derek and Ron are not LDS, but were attending BYU under swimming scholarships. However, they are both EXTREMELY active in their church – EV FREE at the time, now Christ Evangelical Church. Thought I was friends with both, Derek was truly my best friend and one that was always there for me…no matter what. We had a serious blast together…working at the salon, tanning after almost every day after our shifts, night hikes with friends, eating at Teriyaki Stix, having him introduce me to Christian music..resulting in my SERIOUS love for God’s Property, PFR, Point of Grace, Rich Mullins, etc. etc. etc.etc, attending Prayer Circles, singing “Shout the Lord” together, attending Worship Nights with 
Bob & Debbie Cash at EV FREE with him and Ron, swapping dating advice, eating out, eating in, being SAVED by him on my 21st birthday after the worst blind date ever (Derek came over and saved the day and I ended my birthday on a high note, watching a movie with my best friend), sitting and listening to Christian music in the truck, in my house, at Club Tan, EVERYWHERE! And I’ll never forget our ride up the canyon to do our “Mock Engagement Pics.” LOL! So hilarious. (And that's the only reason I'm sharing them here on my blog without reservations. LOL! 'Twould be a little weird to share ACTUAL engagements of me with someone other than Chasy, right? LOL!) We actually gave one of these to our boss at Club Tan and told her we were engaged. The SHOCK in her face was priceless (considering we very literally were ONLY ever tight friends)…totally worth it. Love these pics of me and my best bud....as well as the picture he took of me that same day that won him a prize in a photo contest! It's still one of my favorites even though I have no idea why I am wearing such a huge baggy shirt. LOL! (Whoa..these old pics are a little pixelated here on Typepad today..not sure why. Our faces look kinda deformed...click on each individual pic for the true version.)
I don’t know what I would have done without Derek through those years. He is definitely one of the very highest points of my “Glory Days” and another one that after just sporatic contact the past 10 years, I have really wanted to reconnect with. We ended up locating each other again on Facebook and decided it was time to get the three of us together again after over 9 years. Though I have had contact every few years or so with Derek, I hadn’t seen or heard from Ron in 9 years. Last week, we finally were able to get together at Tepanyaki. As soon as I saw “my boys,” I seriously lit up inside. The memories completely flooded 
my mind and it was definitely a very happy reunion. However, though we did enjoy reminiscing, I found it interesting that though we are all in completely different stages of life, we were able to pick up where we left off, this time as adults, and that strong friendship that was there 9 years ago, was still there and we enjoyed talking about where our lives are now. Dinner was so much fun and I can’t even tell you just how incredible it was to see them again. They were such good sports to do a little photo shoot after dinner..and it’s so fun to look back at some of our old “Three Muskateers-ish” shots from “way back when” and see how much we’ve changed. But what a happy happy thing to find that our FRIENDSHIP hadn’t changed…even after so long.
DC....you are one of my very favorite and most positive and uplifting memories of my Glory Days. Thanks for loving me, always supporting me, even lecturing me quite a bit when I needed it, giving me advice, encouraging me to always “Make Good Choices,” for being a constant example of high morals and standards, sharing your love of Jesus with me (something we both share so much, despite our different Faiths) and for all of the absolutely UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES!!!!!! What a blessing we have kept in touch through the years. I miss you and am so lucky to have had you as my best friend through the "Glory Days"...and now again in our adult years! And Ron….so awesome to have you as a friend then and now again after so long. You are so great and such an awesome example to me. It was so great to listen to you tell about the experiences you have had since we saw each other last and I am amazed at your great strength and how you have chosen to deal with some pretty difficult decisions and situations in your work, etc. How great it is to see two of my closest guy friends from the crazy years, now grown up into such incredible men that I still have such great respect for.
My life has definitely been very richly blessed with some of the greatest friends ever to be found. Kate, Derek and Ron…I love you guys!!! Here’s to many more NEW memories with “old” friends!
P.S. Chas just asked me if I didn't think that spending 3 hours on one HUGE blog entry was going a little overboard. LOL! This DID end up being rather long..I admit it. But I don't think so. I don't think any time spent on keeping a personal journal and remembering people who have had a vital impact in your life is ever a waste of time. ;-) Love you Chasy!!
