FIRST FRIENDS

Everyone has one.

 That FIRST friend.

 The person you met before you knew anyone...

the first friend at school, in a new town, at work, 

the first person that sat next to you on the bus, 

or in the lunch line....

or when you are all grown up..

...in your Prenatal class.

Mine is Beth. 

Our husbands went to Business school together,

We both were city girls, transplanted to this God forsaken place 

that WE soon FELL in love with, 

if not ever completely, enough to want it to

  raise our families here.

We were married a month apart

Our firstborn sons are 3 days apart

the second kids, her boy and my girl, are 12 days apart

and we are Godparents to each others

third boys. 

We stopped at 3 , she went on to have 4 boys.

all of the photos that document our history are before the age of digital

and my scanner is broken, 

so 

just picture lots of crinkly babies, 

tired Mommies with glasses of wine

 and  big pregnant bellies (not together of course)

and hers was enviably nice and tiny while 

my entire body

always Looked pregnant...

picture tow headed boys next to my dark eyed babies who

looked nothing like me and everything like their dad...

and sweaty heads and sticky fingers shoving cake in their faces.

Picture the moments that you never forget

We spent years doing everything together and many years seeing 

not nearly enough of each other. 

Life and Kids and different schools...

but the LOVE and the foundation has always been there and 

 it has always been a treat to reconnect. 

Catch up on the kids.

Marvel at how fast and how wonderfully they have grown. 

Keeping up with each other's extended families, our parents.

Good times...bad times.

BOTTOM LINE

...there is absolutely nothing like an

 Old Friend.

Beth has the original Pink Cow "Emma" in her house

Now they are moving, 

finally she is going back to New England...her home, 

 and while it seems that lately we see each other rarely,

 it feels so strange...

like a major highway won't be there,

 just in case I want to go that way.

Something dependable and often taken for granted

will no longer be there.

We have had a good long run and for a girl who moved every 3 years

growing up, I count the 20 years of our friendship

...a lifetime.

and "Ellington", named after their Godson...Cooper Ellington

Yesterday, I was poking around online and I found

the listing for her house.

and there, in here kitchen

is hanging the painting she just bought from me at my last show

The painting of the blue barn

entitled "Waiting".

We joke that when they move we will actually probably see each other more than ever, have more quality time. 

We always travel to New England each summer.
But

I will miss my friend.

View their house listing HERE