This is a letter I recently found while cleaning out my file cabinet and important papers. The letter is dated 5/13/2005, which would be a year after high-school graduation for me.
Dear Friend,
I love you and miss you very much. I miss all the things we used to do. Our stupid runway shows at Katie's house, our movies we made to old songs at my house or Linsey's, our late night trips somewhere for breakfast, or to what's burger for midnight bathroom breaks since we couldn't use the restroom in our town. The countless times of watching "the movie" over and over again...and it being funnier every time. I remember pool parties during lunch break from band camp, birthday parties where we rented movies and ate "our ice cream". Remember the time Jodi ran through the trailer...I don't know if Tiffany burned that pillow yet or not, but I guess she doesn't have a good record with flame...at least a certain science teacher still thinks so. I've grown up with you guys, and I've loved every minute of it. No matter how many people were added to our group over the years, or taken away from moving or whatever. From the days when our parents dropped us off at someone's house and picked us up the next morning, to the times we drove ourselves, set our alarms, and left for work the next morning. The crazy games we've learned and played at most sleepovers. Sleeping on the trampoline was always great, even if we froze through most of the night and were too tired to get up and get more blankets or go inside where it was warm. Don't forget the time Paris, Jodi, and I think Tiffany locked themselves in the bathroom so they could shower together. The many days of going to Julio's to get free food, I mean what? We've been through the yearbooks plenty of times circling boys and talking about people. The many list we've used as blackmail from those occasions. Lol. We've been through many boys we've all liked at one time or another. The thousand and thousands of pictures we've all taken with each other over the years, some we look at now and think "what was wrong with us" (I.E....pictures from a certain skit at GA camp with side pony tails and horrible makeup). We've all done pretty much everyone's hair and makeup at one time, whether it serious or for fun. We've had those serious talks late at night about different things, and we've all cried and shared pretty much our whole lives with each other. Those talks where we would cry and tell each other how much we love each other and that we were sorry for anything we've said bad about the other. We've all been through countless fights, some seeming pretty serious, but we've always remained friends. Through it all we've always had each other to go to when something was going wrong. We started when we were little, and we've all grown up now. We've been to camps, middle school dances, proms, graduations, parties, and weddings together, and I'm sure it won't be long before one of us has a bouncing baby that we'll all be aunties to. I know not all of us have all these memories but most of us have heard the stories and could probably tell them as if we were there ourselves. I still want that relationship with you. I still want to be those kind of friends, no matter how far away anyone moves, or who is married, or in college, or anything. I still want to stay in contact and be those kind of friends. We need each other, we always will. We'll always need someone to call...even if its years from now and we haven't spoken for a while...we'll still have each other to call and ask advice when we need it. No matter how many boyfriends, other friends, fights with our parents, or even fights with each other, we've still got each other. I am so thankful to have had an awesome group of friends. We aren't all the same, some of us quite different from the others, but we compliment each other so well. We balance out each other and that's what makes our group so beautiful. I've never known better people than my friends and I think it's amazing that we've all gotten together and become friends. I hope we get to grow old together as friends, and go out for lunch when we're little old ladies. I think we'd be the cutest little old ladies. I want our kids to grow up together and be friends, and for this love to go down from generation to generation. Who knows maybe some of our kids will end up getting married or something...you know it happens all the time on tv. We're trying to get the pool cleaned out and when we do I plan on having a big party for all us girls...just like we used to. We'll do all the silly games, eat ice cream, maybe even make a movie, and stay up all night. I want everyone to come so I'll let you know in advance so can be home, take off from work, and all that.
I just want you to know that I love you and I miss you very much. I hope no matter how far apart we grow that we'll never lose the friendship we've all come to know over the years. I hope we always find it in,our heart to call, write, or even visit sometime or another. I love you.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man (or woman) lay down his (or her) life for his (or her) friends. John 15:13.
Reading this letter several years after writing it brings back so many memories. And I love that all of the things in that letter are still true. Of the group this letter was addressed to two remain living in the town we grew up in, one being me. Two have moved about an hour away in opposite directions, two actually moved overseas to Germany, and other have scattered across the us. We've all remained friends, and come together about once a year. There's been marriages, divorces, deaths and births for all of us. Our kids are now growing up together and taking on our legacy. We all call, write, Facebook (which wasn't around during the time this was originally written), and visit each other whenever we can. Although its been hard for me to make friends, as you've read in my previous post "how to make friends", I'm so grateful for these friendships even though we don't get to do the things we used to do as much as we like. Believe it or not at our age now, late 20s and early 30s, we still get together for the occasional sleepover....however there if very little staying up all night now.
Reminiscing about yesteryear is great, but I look forward to what the future may hold for each of us. One just having her first child, one embarking on a marriage this year, one finishing up her masters degree. It's amazing how such different people can be such great friends and encouragement for each other. I still love these girls with all my heart and can't wait for the day my little girls have these kind of relationships.
This is Kadee trying to get Dylan to hold the book to read it. 
This face says it all........."mom tell her I can't read yet"
