An Old Friend

Rachel was in town for the Christmas break, and we were able to get together on Sunday afternoon. Previously, we have met for dinner or whatnot, since she moved to Conroe, but this time she was going to be back in the Spring area and wanted to come over so she could see our house and meet Ryleigh. It was great to sit back, relax, and chat it up like old times. Of course, our conversation was slightly different from old times...but still awesome nonetheless.

When I got married, I learned a lot of things about myself. One of the most obvious, was my lack of true girlfriends in my life. I have plenty of acquaintances and people that I care about. But there are not many girls that know me, all the depths of me, including all the secret corners of my heart. And vice versa- there are not many girls that I truly feel like I know. Most of my friends are super sweet people, who I love and treasure, but fail to grow and maintain the relationship. I always attribute it to life being so busy, but in reality, I am just not good at maintaining relationships. If I see someone on a regular basis, the relationship thrives. If there is the slightest distance or lack of contact, the relationship becomes surface-level. And I hate it, because I genuinely love and care about each and every one of my friends. I just do a poor job of showing it, through nurturing the relationship.

Rachel was my best friend growing up. There are few memories from junior high or high school that do not involve her. We laughed (all the time!) together, and hung out together, and cried together. She knew me like no other. We were real with each other, and formed a deep and meaningful friendship. Then college came. And distance got in the way. And other relationships began to take precedence. And our relationship, well, it changed. For a long time, blamed myself for losing the best friend I ever had. Sure we were still friends, but not the deep, all-knowing friends that we had been. And I missed it. I longed for it.

In the past few years, Rachel moved away to New York. I could not be more proud of her, for stepping out there and working so hard. She has learned new industries, a new city, made new friends, and a new career. And yet, when she comes home, she is still, super sweet Rachel. She has not been 'marred' by the city. It amazes me.

Rachel came right in, sat down on my couch, took her shoes off, and started chatting away. I had a great time catching up, playing with Ryleigh on my living room floor, and laughing about how life has changed. And yet...it had not changed as much as I thought. We were still old friends, who knew things about each other than no one else knows. We still had inside jokes and stories that helped shape us into the people we are today. We still have a connection that cannot be broken over time or distance. It is a special feeling, and one I hope to rekindle with many of my good friends.

Thank you so much for coming to hang out, Rachel! It was such a joy to see you again, and remember a life before now. And as always, it was blast giggling and chatting with you. I hope I'm able to come visit in NY soon! :)
To all my girlfriends and sisters out there who read this blog, please know something. I love and treasure each of you very much. I know I am terrible at keeping in touch and getting to know the inner most parts of your heart, but I want to get better. I miss you all, and hope to see you soon, and give you a big hug!!