Happy Birthday Sandy!

Sandy & Chrissy on the lake

Do you have one of those friends that you have known most of your life and you are still friends with today? I have one particular friend that I have known for 32 years. We met on the school bus only to discover that she was moving into the house next door to me. To say that you "grew up" with someone can mean different things. In this case, I grew up with Sandy. I was at her house as much as I was at mine.

We learned to do the wave together. We learned to do the moon walk. We rode bikes together, motorcycles, mopeds, and finally cars.

Did I mention we got into trouble together, too? We were like sisters and what sisters don't get into trouble together...every decade or so?

Okay, so we were a little crazy...

Today is her birthday.  I won't say how old she is but she is 2 years older than me (and I am 39).

I was there when her second son was born.  I mean literally in the delivery room holding a video camera.  Luckily, I did a better job filming his birth than I did her wedding.  I had my video camera on a tripod at her wedding and when she walked down the aisle, everyone stood up and you could not see her until she got to the altar.  Oops. 

Me and Kim at Sandy's wedding

Sandy knows my history and I know hers and we love each other the way we are, like family.  (I am the crazy relative.)  We have been through many years of growing pains, dating pains, marriage pains, and now we are entering a new phase - middle age pains.  (Some of us are closer than others.) 

One day I was visiting her church and as I sat there I begin to think (during the singing not the sermon) that we went from sitting together on the school bus, to her front porch, to sitting on bar stools together, and now we were sitting in a church pew together listening to her brother preach.  I must say it was a very moving moment.  I figure we are heading in the right direction. 

I don't know what life has in store for either of us but as long as we are on this earth we will always be there for one another no matter what.  Sandy is the one person I know I could call anytime and she would come get me no matter where I was. 

God did not give me a  blood sister but He gave me two friends who were as close as I think a sister can be - Kim and Sandy. 

She is one of those people I can see only once a month and still feel like we haven't been apart.  We both have changed a lot since we were 7 and 9 years old (and thank God for that).  I think if we live to be 89 and 91, we'll still be hanging out together either at Cracker Barrel or on a front porch somewhere.

Happy birthday, my friend!