September 2, 2014

• Best Friend

  When I got on Facebook this morning, I immediately saw the post that my best friend from high school was celebrating her 40th anniversary!
  

  Karla and her husband have raised 5 children who are all married and have children of their own:
  

  I knew then that i wanted to dedicate a post to the wonderrul friendship that I had with Karla! She and her family moved just as she was to enter 6th grade and her aunt introduced us. To meet Karla is to love her because that is just what happened. We were instantly great friends. This is the first school we attended together:
  

  That building housed the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. The first two years, Karla and I had the same homeroom, which meant we had all of our classes together. We were completely happy with that. It's funny looking back on it now and knowing how my children were raised - I don't think we ever saw each other outside of school. We went to the Baptist church and they went to the Catholic church. We did not live very close to one another. My family just did not do the "spend the night" thing. If that was unusual, I never knew it at the time. So we were close as close could be every school day.

  I remember so well the first day of 8th grade. It was going to be a big year. We were at the top of the chain BUT hold the phone...Karla and I DID NOT GET in the SAME homeroom. Distress and agony was what I felt all day. When I got home, I told my mother about it in tears and she did something that I only remember her doing that one time in my entire life. She called the prinicpal - and not only did she do it, but she called him at home!! My parents ALWAYS supported the school - did not matter what it was about. The teachers were right. But Mother took up this case for me. The outcome did not change but I always remember her doing it for me.

  Mother loved Karla. She had such a soft spot in her heart for her because Karla lost her mom to cancer not too long after her baby sister was born. This broke mine and Mother's heart. Karla had an older sister, 3 younger sisters and a younger brother! Mother could hardly stand to think of those children being without their mother. One particular memory I have is that Mother learned to knit some vests and made me a red one. As soon as that was finished, she asked me, "Now what color would Karla like?" Of course there was no hesitation because Karla's favorite color was yellow!

  Karla and I made it work out, seeing each other at recess and random other times. We managed to stay best friends. Then we entered high school. Every year we were on pins and needles to see if we would have our classes together. We were both in band so that helped to arrange things a little. She played saxophone and I played clarinet. Sat by each other on the bus for every away game and every competition. We loved it!

  We had to stay after school for band practice once a week. Karla's dad gave me a ride home from many of those. He was the NICEST man!!! Lots of fun and so patient. Mother had her hands full with 3 others kids at home, particularly with a toddler, so it wasn't easy for her to come. (Just this very day I wondered why my dad never picked me up from anything. If Mother couldn't come, I had to find a ride from practice or church or wherever I was. Guess I will never know if it was because he wasn't happy about the activities I was doing or whether he just couldn't be bothered. He did go to one or two football games that I remember but mostly he was just absent. Definitely not the way Rick and I did things - Praise God!!).

  Anyhow 3 years of high school passed and then I got the WORST news of MY life. Karla had enough credits to graduate early and enter Young Harris College. WHAT????? My world was ruined. The band always played at graduation and the night of hers I remember just trying to play without crying. This was just tragic - to not be together for our senior year!!! If I had only known the finality of that decision, I would have been ever more upset!

  Somehow it made I made it through my senior year but there was definitely a big hole in my heart! Karla and I kept it touch a bit through some letters but without e-mail and facebook - what were two friends to do? I did not choose Young Harris when I graduated because I wanted a 4 year school (besides the man who would be my husband was waiting for me there. ☺) Karla graduated from Young Harris and moved to Minnesota to continue studying. It was there she met her husband. She came back to be married at "home". Mother and I went to her wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and a very special day.

  And that was goodbye for us - Karla has been in Minnesota ever since and I have been moving all around. It was just a few months ago that I saw one of her sisters on Facebook and asked her for Karla's e-mail address. She did not even tell Karla, but let me write to her and surprise her. Some sweet letters went back and forth and now we are connected on Facebook.

  We are making plans to meet in Chattanooga the next time Rick and I are in for an extended time. I can't wait. 40 years is WAY too long not to see your best friend.

  Happy Anniversary, Karla! You were the BEST best friend to this young girl in Epworth, Georgia. I will always be grateful to the Lord for moving your family there and for your aunt introducing us! I've loved you since the moment I met you and I always will!!

  • 10:43 pm
  • 2 Comments