Best Friends

The first thing I remember my dear neighbor, Michele, saying to me is, “We’ve been waiting for a six year old girl!” Our daughters, Kate and Kylee, were the same age, and would be starting school in the same first grade class. As much as Michele had been waiting for Kate to enter Kylee’s life, I had been praying for a girl like Kylee to be in our new neighborhood. Yet the girls didn’t hit it off immediately. They were both extremely shy with one another and I could see that kick starting their friendship would take a bit of effort. It turned out that the only effort it took was making sugar cookies on a Friday afternoon. We made cookies and invited Kylee over to help frost them. That was the day we truly met Kylee. Frosting cookies took away the girls’ misgivings and self-consciousness. Later that day, Michele remarked, “Well, I think that did it. Kylee can’t wait to come over again.” And come over she did. Kate and Kylee have enjoyed two and a half years of play. We have teased Kylee that she lives more at our house than at hers.

Kylee moved to another state three weeks ago. Kate really misses her. For that matter, all of my kids really miss her. They played with Kylee almost as much as Kate did. It has been heartbreaking to watch Kate grieve for her friend. It’s little things, really. A short temper that flares, discovering what boredom after school can be, and tears at unexpected moments. She’ll be fine, I know. She has many other adorable friends. But it is hard watching my Kate go through this difficult life experience. I think I know how she feels, for Michele has left a big hole in my life as well. We are in the thick of experiencing what Tennyson meant when he wrote, “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

Fortunately, we have only lost our neighbors, not our friends. Friends we will remain, just with more distance in between. Isn’t life interesting that way? Some friendships survive distance and can even thrive despite distance. Other friendships lay dormant and revive easily when you see each other again. Still others simply enter into the realm of fond memories. I love looking back and seeing how different friends have filled different needs in my life. Three cheers for good friends!