An Old Friend

I have walked through life with countless friends. About 20 years ago when I was in college, I heard a sermon about how we have emotional layers of friendships. I don't remember the whole sermon, but I do remember three of the friend categories. One category was an "acquaintance"--the kind of friend that is always nice to you and you are nice back but that is about as far as the friendship goes. I have a TON of these friends. I think it goes along with the territory of being in leadership positions in my professional life. (I always have wondered if people assume that I have lots of friends because I am the "director" or the "manager" or the "teacher"? ..... hmmmm)

Another category was the "casual friend"--it was the layer that included people that you might go shopping with or invite over to play a game with. I tend to have a handful of these friends that have surrounded me for most of my life.

The last layer of friendship that I can remember was called the "lifer". It is a friend that has been there for many years of your life and may not always be a physical part of your life but you always feel a connection with them and when they do show back up, you experience great joy and incredible overwhelming relief that they are still the same. Just like you remember. And you realize that you REALLY miss this person. I remember sitting in the pew that morning thinking "I don't have this "lifer" category in my life...it must be for old people". I was 19 years old then.

Well, guess what? I am officially OLD.

Tonight I was on Facebook and my old room mate from college found me and invited me to be her friend. She was also in my wedding. And she knew how to hot wire her Audi if it didn't start in the rain--this is still a very impressive trait that I hold very high on the coolness list. I, of course, accepted her request to be my friend, and was so excited when her name popped up on my screen. She and I were very close in college but somehow we lost contact with each other several years ago. Tonight she was online when I was online so we started to instant message each other. It took like 5 minutes to fall into the old rhythm of conversation and jokes with each other. It was almost as if time had stood still. She is still the same.... and I am too. And guess what again? I think I have a "lifer".

Sometimes it is really good to get old. I need to go dry my eyes now.

Happy Friday Peeps.

Heidi