Mama Kat's Writing Assignment

I was trying to decide what to post on this Thursday. Thankful Thursday? Thursday Thirteen? Something random?
Then I read Mama Kat's post and was so happy! Finally, I get to participate in Mama Kat's writing assignment, because she has the perfect prompt for me.


It was prompt number two, to be exact.


"2.) Are you still friends with your high school friends? Describe them."





I'm actually still friends with several of my high school friends. They're on my myspace and we keep in touch.
But the one I'm talking about today is my bestest friend in the whole world, Danielle.

Danielle and I met when I was 15 and she was about 13. We met in church and hit it off immediately. The next year, she was a freshman at my high school and we got even closer. We have been through everything together. She was the first person to ride in my new car when I was 16, a 1984 Mustang (oh, how I miss that car). She was also the first (and only) person to pee in my car.

(I made her laugh. A lot. Good times!)

I watched her high school boyfriend physically and emotionally abuse her, and told him off and dumped him out of my car. I was very protective over her. I skipped school to take care of her. She didn't really have a mother to speak of. I kind of took over that role.

Later, we both got married and pregnant. Our boys are just over one month apart in age. Then we had our girls....18 days apart (but they were due only ONE day apart! Her baby girl was early). She went through a divorce and a bad relationship. I hung on to my bad marriage, always confiding in her and only her. We were both SAHMs for many years, and we talked on the phone every day. I honestly don't know what I would've done without her in those years.

When I started working in day care, she was going through her second divorce. I got her a job with me. We always tried to take care of each other.
When she married the third (and final!!) time, she had a church wedding, and I was a bridesmaid. Her husband is a great guy, and in 2000, they had a little boy together. For the first time, she was pregnant...and I wasn't! But she took care of that. Within days of giving her giving birth to her youngest son, I found out I was pregnant with my Princess. I swear she jinxed me! But I'm so glad she did. So, our youngest kids are less than a year apart in age. And we're currently arranging their marriage.

All of our kids are still friends, although we live one town apart from each other and they don't see each other often. The girls especially are very close.

When the major event that ended my first marriage occured, we happened to already have a lunch date the next day. We were meeting at a park so the kids could play. She had no idea the condition that I would be in. We sat down at a picnic table and I let it all out. She cried with me. I know that if she could've, she'd have committed a serious felony that day. Again, I don't know what I'd have done without her during that time.
She's always had the knack for calling me at just the right time. The first time I had to drop my kids off for visitation and they were meeting their father's girlfriend (now wife) for the first time, I had just driven down the road when the phone rang.

It was Danielle, of course, asking me, 'Are you okay?'

And the answer, of course, was 'no'. That was so hard to get used to, at first.

She always told me that I would be so much better off in the long run, and she was so right. She loves my hubby, because he is so good to me. She encouraged me to further my relationship with him, even when some people in my life were telling me that I should stay single and just take care of my kids. Danielle told me that for once in my life, it was time to do something for me. I'm so glad I did!

We don't talk or see each other as often as we'd like. We both stay so busy. But we stay in touch, and we're there for the important things. She was at my second wedding, I was at her recent graduation from college. I know I can always come to her when I need her. For twenty years, we have been best friends. What we have is special. There will never be anyone else in my life like Danielle. We are more than friends, more than family. We have a bond like no other.

I love my best friend!

Our girls when they were about three. They're both thirteen this month!


Our boys when they were around 3 or 4. They're both 15 now.