“Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

She sat in front of me in class. We were sophomores…our first year in a huge high school where several classes from various junior highs commingled. We didn’t know each other…yet.

We were wearing handmade dresses that day, much like the one pictured here. They were both made from a waffle weave fabric of white daisies with yellow centers on a hot pink background. Very “mod”. Very “flower power”. Very chic, I’m sure.

She was beautiful. Long, blonde hair, tan, a perky nose and a dazzling smile. I was mesmerized as I watched her fairly bounce into the room. Memories of how she walked into that room have never left me.

She hadn’t noticed me sitting behind her. She was busy putting her books away and getting settled. Perhaps greeting someone she knew. Her hair was spun gold. I cautiously tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, saw my dress, and laughed…clapping her hands in delight. The sun shone brighter in that moment. I had found my soul sister.

We quickly became besties. There were lots of slumber parties and sunbathing and curling each other’s hair. There were giggles and tears and shared secrets. There were dreams and gossip and football games. I held her hair back the first time she got drunk on Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill and threw up in my trash can. We were tight.

My mom adored her, too. Mom loved all my friends. She called them her kids and loved them just like us. But this one was special. This one hung around when I moved on…first to England, then to Colorado. She took my mom in her little convertible sports car to the beach…my mom’s first trip there…a rare treat for her to get away from caring for my brother with cerebral palsy who lived at home. They had a CB radio and mom had a blast talking to the truckers. I was aghast when I found out they pulled up behind a Meadowgold truck and told him “they had the vodka if he had the orange juice”. They pulled into the next rest area and toasted to freedom with a screwdriver and a total stranger. Those two scared me to death, but they just laughed at my scorn. They knew about freedom long before I did. Of course, nowadays one would never do that…at least, I certainly hope not! It’s a different world now but they felt safe back then.

She went on and went through the typical stuff…divorce, jobs, moves. She finally moved far enough away that it was difficult to visit again. I’ve been to see her a couple of times. We chat several times a week. Mom had promised my brother a trip to see her but she died before they could go. My brother reminded me at the funeral so I promised to take him. Mom had a small life insurance policy. Enough to pay for her funeral with a little left over. I packed my brother up and took him on a long road trip to see our “sister” before I brought him to live in Colorado near me.

Old friends. My sweet sister-of-a-different mother reminded me we should preserve our memories because in the end, that’s all that’s left you. She sent me a link to Simon and Garfunkel singing “Old Friends” last night. I sat back and listened to the lyrics and closed my eyes. They stung with tears. I haven’t seen her for fourteen years now. We’ve both had trials we’ve gone through that have kept us apart. But, it’s time. Life is so uncertain. We must reunite soon and preserve those memories that bonded us in 1968. “A time of innocence. A time of confidences.”

❤️