BFF

Do you have fond memories of middle school or high school? As difficult as those years were, I really have great memories! There are a few not so great ones, but for the most part, I had a great adolescence. I'm sure the primary reason is because I have great parents who made sure we had a fun...lots of fun!  They also worked hard to make sure I received a good education, was taught the value of work, honestly and living a life of integrity. Aside from those lessons imparted to me by my parents, the greatest gift I received in the 8th grade was a best friend!

My family moved from Maryland to Zephyrhills, Florida the summer between my 7th and 8th grade. While some may think that was a horrible thing to do to a teenager, I survived quite nicely. Sure I missed friends back in Maryland and I missed my grandparents, but I loved Florida and our new life there.  Toward the end of my 8th grade year I met the girl who would quickly become my BFF. Drawn together by our love for the Bay City Rollers, Tammy & I were instant friends. We were opposites in many ways, but we were really just two teenagers looking to each other for fun and help getting through high school.  We spent every weekend at one another's house. Her family became my family and mine hers. We were inseperable for the next four years. After high school, I went to college while Tammy chose to join the US Army. For the next nine years, we had little contact with other. We had each made choices that distanced us from one another. In 1990, due to Tammy's tenacity, we were reconnected. She was living in Washington state and I was in Sarasota, Florida. It wasn't long until we caught up on the previous nine years and were best friends again. We've been connected although living in different states for the past 23 years. In many ways, it's really like we didn't lose those nine years at all. Sadly, we missed the big events in each other's lives (weddings and the birth of her kids) but we've been able to share the joys and sorrows of life long distance. I was thinking the other day that although I consider her my best friend for the past 36 years, we really only had 4 years on which to build that foundation. I've known her longer than she's known her husband or I've known mine. The only people either of us have know longer are family members.

I'm super excited to be seeing Tammy and her family this weekend! They are coming down to central Florida to play tourist and we get to spend time together. I can promise you that it won't be long enough. I'll cry when I see her and I'll cry the whole way home but the time we do have will be the sweetest time for me and I will thank our great God for every second!  Friends like Tammy are rare and a true blessing from God and one that I choose to remember every day and not take for granted.

Blessings,
Teresa