I know I’ve finally become an old lady because I’ve become posting things like “don’t blink,” in reference to my kids growing up. In my defense I have avoided saying “time flies, enjoy them!” (At least I think so. . .)
The truth is time is a funny thing. The clock ticking and the months turning and the seasons changing is consistent. However, our experience with it is something else entirely. There are times when the moments just fly by and we are left with a million things to do and only a small window of time to do them; other times when it is like time has stopped and we are left waiting for whatever we are enduring to be over; and the times that seem impossible to be real.
My best friend and I met when we were in high school. I was 16 and she was 15. I have no idea what she saw in me; I saw a well adjusted, kind, honest girl. We were fast friends—I always sort of waited for the other shoe to drop with my sharp corners maybe jabbing her one time too many.
But for nearly 30 years, she’s stuck around. She’s been doing this ridiculous thing in the past years of trying to toughen her exterior. But it won’t stick. And I am glad because I love her sensitive spirit. It keeps me in line.
It feels like a few weeks ago that we were running late to see “Reality Bites” and forced to sit in the front row of the theater or we were twirling and tossing flags on the football field at halftime and we were having play dates with our tiny babies.
It’s like time flashed forward; but at the same time remains right where it always was, with us, best friends talking about Eddie Vedder. I am always in a clothing crisis. Rachel is missing an essential ingredient or item. Our conversations are distracted and never really finished, which is okay, because we’ve got the time to them up again—especially because in a blink we will be mothers with kids graduating high school and kids getting married and grandchildren and retired husbands, both named Mike, who are driving us crazy. But, we also still be sharp and soft and loving Eddie Vedder and late to every event and frazzled, as if time stopped.
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