For: Joan
My lifelong best friend.
Love you always...
There's something magical that happens when
you are 10 years old, chasing butterflies,
skipping stones, riding little pink bicycles
with streamers and white baskets on the handle
bars with a big yellow sunflower on the front.
Roller skating down the street that looks like it
would swallow you whole, and revisit that same
street as an adult and think as you smile to yourself,
"what was all the fuss about?"
Remembering when-
The wind flowed through your tangled hair, because
when you were 10 you weren't worried if the boys seen
you with a "bad hair day!"
Remembering hop scotch, and jumping rope.
Playing jacks, and sipping cokes.
Reminded of honeysuckle scented vines,
picking a few and licking the honey right then
and there.
Not a care in the world.
Me and my best friend singing as loudly as we
could "Down, down baby, down by the roller coaster.
Sweet, sweet baby, I'll never let you go." Clapping our
hands in perfect timing with the other, like a well oiled
machine. Never missing a beat. Going faster and faster
until our little hands and arms were worn out.
Climbing that big tree in her mom's back yard. We
both climbed to the tree top, with her mom
yelling out the door, not realizing we were about 50 feet
in the air. We would giggle and she would tell
us to come down, and we did. Even thought we didn't
want to. She must have been horrified knowing we were
that high in the tree.
(We were 6 at that time)
Some of the most fun times I had as a child were with
her. We even fought over who was going to be Shaun
Cassidy's girlfriend. She always won, because I always
seemed to give in, and take the other guy, just to keep
peace. Even though I was sad she didn't want to share
with me.
(I honestly didn't care, I just secretly wanted to like him
with her as if we were one soul, one heart. BFF's forever)
Because-
We did everything together.
Then we grew up.
Lost touch.
Regained it.
Had children.
Lost it again.
Found it once more.
Now here we meet again, instead of 10, we are 38, nearing
the 40 mark.
I still love her today, as I did in 1974. When we first
met in kindergarten.
I've spent my lifetime thus far with her in it somewhere, either
in my heart or on my mind.
We can still make each other laugh hysterically.
Remembering when, yet making new memories today.
Now there's just something magical about that.
© 2007 Julia A. Hill
