Do old friendships ever really die?

Today I was thinking about my friend Tammy. What is amazing to me about Tammy, is that we seem to be a lot alike. I read her posts on facebook and she seems so much to be like me in loving her kiddos and the people that are important to her. That can be said about many people in my life... right... that is how we work, we are attracted to people that we enjoy being around, which often times are a lot like us. Now, I do have some friends that are so different than I am, but they bring out a side of me that is not seen often... or not at all... but, they are always kind and caring people. I love kind... and I love... caring. That is what I like. I like people that I can laugh so hard with that I have tears running down my face. I NEED THAT.

What surprises me, however, is that Tammy... and I... have not been in the same room since fifth grade when we were in Ms. Berry's, or Ms. Barry's, or was her name Ms. Barry, as she was going to be getting married. I am not sure if her name was Barry and she was going to be getting married or if it was something else and Barry would be her married name. ykwim? She is the one teacher I did not make a connection with at that young age of my life... oh no... Mrs. Nick as well... she was unkind and really mean to the kids... but... Well... hmmmm... Mrs. Barry was her name at some point. We, were in the fifth grade. That summer, I moved to Spokane, so I have not seen her since.

Isn't it funny how people can touch our lives in a BIG way even when we are younger... can you imagine?

I was Seventh Day Adventist when I was best friends with Tammy in the 4th grade. I was in awwwwww of Tammy and I wanted to be her! SMILE. Her sister, I think her name was Lori, and Tammy were great friends. They were blond. They were pretty. They had horses. They got to wear lip gloss. They got to dance. They got to watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. TAMMY, had her ears pierced... insert large gasp here!!!! and a big wink to you Tammy. She had a collection of Bonnie Bell Lipglosses. She and Stephanie Stephens or Stephenson, (I forget the last name) bought me a butternut Bonnie Belle lipgloss. Then they were HUGE... not cute little ones. Kind of like how the cell phone had evolved... yeh... like that. AND....Tammy got to wear HASH JEANS... and STAR JEANS... and she got to also... carry one of those big ass combs in the back pocket... the ones that looked like one of the tropical swirl life savers. JEALOUSY from WENDY!!!!

Tammy got to spend the night at my house one night... and my dad was at work. Somehow... and God only knows how... but I talked my mom into letting Tammy teach me the HUSTLE! YOU GOT IT... the SDA girl learning how to dance... oh my... what a sinner I became that very night... no ands, ifs or buts about it... I was going to go to hell for sure.

I go to Tammy's page now... and... I love to look at the photos of her family... of her life... of her husband. I am so proud of her that she has turned into a wonderful woman, a great wife and the best mom.

I can't wait til we get to spend a great weekend together. I can't wait to make more memories with her and just laugh... the kind of laughs you do in the fifth grade where it is ok to be silly and not care who hears you laugh.

We can talk about banana seat bicycles, Mike Elliot's robot he made in the fourth grade... riding the bus with the red head we teased my brother about being in love with. We can talk about the peanut butter they served on the rolls at Davis Elementary School, and about Shawn Cassidy, as we both loved the guy with the best feathered hair.

To you Ms. Tammy... I don't tell you enough... but I love you... and you touched my life in ways you will never know....

Blessings on this journey....