Friendships

Some people come into your life and stay but for a brief moment, whether they leave voluntarily or not, they still leave. They will most likely leave footprints in your life and change you somehow. Others, well, they show up when you aren't expecting it and just never leave. They stay thru thick and thin. They see you at your best, and worst and love you anyway. They hold your hand when you need to be lead out of a dark place. And at times, they take your hand when its their turn to be rescued. They are there at your triumphs and are truly happy for you! They are your own personal cheer leading squad!

Ive only been privy to this second type a friend a few times. And I know why, I'm crazy. Seriously, I have to be certifiable! Even though its been attributed to my Italian heritage and my dysfunctional raising, I truly believe I have a few wires that aren't connected correctly! But it's all good, we are all a little crazy in one way or another aren't we? Take my issues, I can't breathe when someone walks by me. I CAN NOT breath their "vapor wash". You know, that breeze that follows someone, who, when they walk too close to you, you can feel AND SMELL their "air"? Yeah, that's a BIG no go for me. I also can not get into an unmade bed. Even if I just got out of it, I have to tighten all the sheets back up to get back in. When hubbers gets out of the bed at 5 am for PT, I make his side of the bed while I'm still in it! Crazy as a loon I tell ya!!!!

Anyways, back to friends. I can remember my first BFF. Alexis Tischer. Miami Florida 1974-c. 1978. She lived in the house directly behind me. She had a pool too! AND A TREE FORT! She was the coolest. And by that, I mean my only friend, so of course I thought she was cool! She had a quirk, when she got excite, she flapped her hands wildly. Back then, it didn't seem odd to me either. If i saw a child do that today, Id toss em a Xanax I do believe. We were inseparable though for years! Always jumping over the fence to each others house to play. Sadly, she moved away in like the 2nd or third grade. I think her family moved to Naples, Florida. I went to visit them one summer for a weekend. Then never heard from her again. I missed her most of my adult life and have just recently stopped looking for her. My daughter is named for her.....

Then came Tammy. Again, Miami c. 1984. She lived a few doors down and was a couple years older then I. She had like 6 siblings! I remember them all. I loved her mom, she was so cool! Me and Tammy found the typical teenage trouble together. We discovered boys too! I also remember many nights sleeping at her house, playing in the field down the street on the ATC's (now they call them 3 wheelers or quads). We once had a friend who had a horse named Lady. We'd walk to their house and ride that horse up and down the streets of Miami.... the good times. My older brother apparently had a crush on her, cause he was meaner then an old crusty man to her and me all the time. And I highly doubt, at the time, my parents really liked us hanging out together. Oh well..... She was an A+ friend! I got in some trouble in High school, so we had to move. And since neither of us drove yet, that friendship was left to dissolve. Thankfully, Facebook has afforded me the opportunity to catch up with her and her sisters again!

Well, after moving a while 10 miles away (Hey, to a teen who doesn't drive and doesn't have a parent willing to drive them all over God's green creation to see their friends, ITS FAR!!!!!) I met Steph. She lived around the corner from me and was new to to the area. A YANKEE! She had just moved down from Maryland and had the funniest accent I have ever heard! Very southern sounding and that confused the hell outta me, cause, well, she was from the north! We used to tell our parents we were going to a walk and meet at the corner. We'd go walk and smoke cigarettes together. We thought we were COOL! We also got to go to High School together for a while. Steph, dropped out and got her diploma by taking a dang test. Man, I wish I had done that too! Even though she dropped out, we still hung out together and found many a weekends out at Hidden Lake partying it up! Man, Ill never forget that place. It was an old Rock quarry that was hidden behind thickets of saw grass and vegetation. But only a short distance from our stomping grounds. Steph decided to then go and do bigger and better things with her life, and decided, to join the Navy. Can ya hear the Village People singing? I CAN! Bummer..... THERE GOES ANOTHER FRIEND!

Now, from the time I graduated high school (1989) until 1998, I had no best friend. I had truly NO FRIENDS I can remember. I was too busy being married and pregnant. Following my ex husband all over the country. But in 1998, I met Jen. Fayetteville, NC. Me and Jen hit it off right away! She was my husbands, best friends wife. COOL!!!! We have been thru so much adult drama together, that I just don't have the gumption to even try to write it out. But let's just say, one day I can write a book about what we have had to help each other live thru! We are still friends to this day. But sadly, not as close. Her life has taken her back to NC while I am here in Georgia. I'd like to think that we will always have a bond of that like sisters. But who knows what time has in store for us?

Angie. Savannah, GA 2007-present. Moving to Savannah was a big leap for me. I was moving here with a man I wasn't married to. No job prospects, nothing. Not even a friend in town to turn to if things turned sour. But I took that leap and thank God every day that I did. I found a job at a local Women's Only Gym in the daycare room. WHAT WAS I THINKING? Oh yeah, Free membership! Angie would drop her two little boys off to me every day, so she could have some time to herself. Her youngest loved me and my boobs! After a couple months, we became friends. During our deployments, we were each others life lines. Surrogate spouses of a sort if you may. We never had to worry about not having someone there to help us out if help was needed. We knew, that every day at 8:45 am that Angie would roll up and we'd head to the gym. We never really saw each other on weekends (and still dont to this day) unless we are having a special Holiday party! Now, Angie is pregnant. Totally unexpected too. It was the morning I had to wake up at 330 am to get her to the hospital to get her tubes tied that we found out she was knocked up. That's a day Ill never forget! LOL. She was so upset and here I am in the hospital Jumping for joy! I'm pretty sure she wanted to hit me at that moment too, but she refrained thankfully. And now, in a month, little baby Missy will be born. How sweet is that? Not only is she naming her after me, but she has made me the God mother too! I will finally have another baby to spoil!

All these ladies have one thing in common. Uncommon patience to be my friends. They all knew/know my quirks, but welcomed me into their lives anyways. And I love each of them like a sister to this day. They each give me hope that I am not as crazy as I think I am. But then I remember the saying.... 1 out of 5 people are crazy....Look at your friends and if its not them...ITS YOU!