The other night I talked to Debbie for about 3 hours on MSN...what started out as polite conversation turned out to be catch up and reminiscing on old times.
Sometimes I forget how many stories there are...I think she had forgotten too, until we both started talking, and then suddenly it was just a deluge of happy memories... I don't think I've laughed that much in a really, really long time.
Debbie and I are two VERY different people, and in most ways, we started out like that. I was a quiet, withdrawn, child; she was loud, gutsy, and always had to be the center of attention. I was like a miniature adult, never getting into trouble, for the most part- she was drawn to new and exciting things, and anything and everything she wasn't allowed to do. Debbie allowed me to really 'be a kid'. Before her, I had never had a sleepover, I had never climbed a tree, or lit something on fire, or teased a boy. And before me, I guess, she had never had someone around for the times when she really wanted to be serious. I became the wise-cracking smartass to her impulsive creativity; occasionally even hatching a few crazy ideas myself. Despite our differences, we eventually geled in a way that was both frustrating and exhilerating at the same time. We were best friends.
Even now, after all these years- I talk to her and I really know she is listening. We are each others objective standpoints. Fresh perspective. We have have become two very different people, but we are like sisters. Only with her can I go from laughing out loud to sentimental tears in just a few seconds.
That night was my mind slamming on the brakes from all the stresses I was going through, and giving me a strong dose of catharsis. It is these moments that we remember.