This past weekend I flew away to the Twin Cities, met up with four of my besties and was transported back to life circa 1989.
Four girlfriends, friends since 1987 & 1988, descended upon the only boy brave enough to hang out with us then (and probably one of only a handful who’d brave us now). Jason put us up, drove us around and treated us to fabulous days and nights out on the town. He shared his friends, adjusted his schedule and has banked serious friend points.
It got me thinking.
In high school, we had a lunch table. Depending on the semester, some or all of us would be there every day. We had a meal together every day, and never really thought twice about it. Once we were licensed drivers, we spent more time together. Countless sleepovers, countless cups of coffee at the greek diners, we even started a tradition of going out to breakfast before school on Friday mornings (which was nuts, because school started at 7:30am). We spent a lot of time together, and never really gave it a second thought, because we were friends, it’s what friends do.
In college, we still managed to see a lot of each other. Weekend visits to our respective universities, attending annual family Christmas parties, maxing out calling cards (calling was SO expensive, but we talked all the time), and surprising each other as we were able.
After college, the real world happened. Most of us were done with school by 1996, and real life started to happen. We moved a little further away from each other. We suddenly didn’t have month-long semester breaks to visit each other.
When we (collectively, via Facebook) got to thinking about it, the four girlfriends and their boy hadn’t been together, all in the same room since October 1998, at the first of our four weddings. Since then, there have been three more weddings, five births, two adoptions, a few family deaths/tragedies, several moves and house warming parties.
Flash forward, and all of a sudden, it was 12 years since we’d shared a meal all together, laughed together, shopped together.
That needed to be fixed.
So we all descended upon Jason’s life.
And besides reliving old memories (it’s funny, we all remember different funny stories), we now have new memories.
Memories of a fabulous night at the W Hotel.
Memories of a fun sushi lunch at the Mall of America.
Memories of deliciously grilled-through-a-storm dinner, complete with Skinny Girl margaritas.
And the best thing about being with friends you’ve known since you were fourteen?
You NEVER age. Seriously, we all look exactly the same, only better. (I’d post a picture from then, but they are all in storage, honest)
