True Friends

Yesterday I hosted a brunch for my four college suite-mates as Trish and her family are moving to the beach soon, and it was a good reason for us all to get together. It was the first time all five of us plus our kids were together, and, in fact, the first time in a long time all five of us gals were together. Sixteen years ago, in the fall of 1990, we all met on the 5th floor of Carmichael Dorm at UNC, after having been randomly placed in a suite (in Jen's case, the one across the hall) that we would call home for the next two years. We five became fast friends and each other's family, when we needed that kind of support the most. We relied on Anna's mac computer to type up writing assignments and her electric ham-n-cheese sandwich maker. We relied on Jen for a hug and an encouraging word when we were homesick, lovesick, or sick over that Astronomy test score. We relied on Trish for a good laugh, and we relied on Shannon and her parents when we needed to get away, to High Point, for a delicious home-cooked meal.

We used to nurse each other's hangovers and broken hearts, and now we nurse our own children. We used to compare biology and psychology notes, and now we compare notes on baby-sign language, kindergarten readiness and how to cook an easy casserole. We have stories, boy do we have stories. Some that are fun to remember and some we'd most definitely like to forget. Like the one about falling off the top bunk and rolling under the bottom bunk...and staying there for a long time, while everyone in the room laughed. Or bonging bicardi and it "hitting like a freight train." Or falling down the night of the basketball championship in 1993 and going to the ER for stitches. Or inviting a gaggle of Canadians to our 70's party ("You're on fire, kid!")...but enough about me.

This group has been together through five weddings, six births, four deaths and one divorce. We met during the formative years, the college, years, the best years of our lives, and we fantasized back then about having children around the same time so we could push them in strollers together. Yesterday that dream came true. The reality is we don't live close enough to push strollers together. We've made new friends to do that with through work, playgroups, hobbies, and church. For now, we'll have to settle for an annual beach reunion. Nothing will take away the history we five have with each other. Nothing. And when it comes down to it, we all know, at least I hope we all know, that we'll always have each other's backs.