Okay, well this will have to be the most fun I have had writing since I do not know when. The topic spans memories of my youth well into my “older” years.
There is only one person in my early life that I remember what my first words spoken to her were. She will be referred to as KB for the writing of this story. That person (KB) is, of course, my best friend.
We were both just five years old, sitting at a round table on our first day of kindergarten. Our teacher Miss Plummer handed each one of us a paper with the outline of common characters on them. KB was sitting right next to me and she received the outline of a clown and I got stuck with a squirrel.
Wow, can you believe the first day of school and I am right away hit with such a dilemma – The first words I spoke to my oldest and dearest friend “what color should I use for my squirrel”? As you know squirrels can be gray, reddish-orange, black, and even brownish. I so wanted to get this right. Her response to my quandary was simply “gray”. That was it, problem solved I carefully colored in my gray squirrel. Our entire table completed our artwork assignment, and we were all well rewarded with a warm smile from Miss Plummer.
I would soon discover that kindergarten and each grade forward through elementary school would be filled with mostly laughter and camaraderie for KB and I and our small circle of friends.
In fourth grade however the “squirrel” haunted me once again as I crapped out of a spelling bee (spelling bee’s were one of my favorite things to do in class) when I gave the tree rodent double l’s at the end. Oh the embarrassment!
As teenagers, we attended Jr High (now referred to as Middle School I believe) and then Sr High School where we were introduced to larger groups. Our friendships with others expanded – although we never lost touch with one another.
It is at this time in my writing that I realize this only brings us to young teens and I have already gone on longer than anticipated for this blog. I need ways to shorten my delivery of our experiences yet pay due homage to the importance of having my best friend in my life past and present.
We went on to spend wonderful ups and downs and eventually graduate from High School with our friendship still very much intact ‘thank you my Lord’.
Fast forward to 1982 when both KB and I became mothers and of course, our babies were born during the same month – of the same year being of the same gender. At this time, I even lived with KB and her family for a short time – that is just how she was and is. Years later I was blessed with another wonderful child as well. You will learn much more about my two offspring in later writings.
We are grandmother’s now and share the joys of our grandchildren with one another as often as time permits. I dare say my oldest granddaughter often pretends that she prefers KB over me. Yes, I am quite sure she is just joking.
Over the year’s relationships have come and gone, we have lost friends through life experiences and death, we have suffered through health issues and mourned the loss of family members and throughout all of this, we have remained constant.
My best friend is very fond of saying “Oh for goodness sakes life is too short!” in some manner or another whenever she is confronted with foolish nonsensical dilemmas such as wearing masks while walking the beach (several feet from any people) in late November (midcoastal Maine) during the pandemic from China of 2020.
I thought maybe she adopted her devil may care attitude after she underwent life-threatening surgery a few years back. But alas, as I write this, I am reminded of that five-year-old little girl sensing another little girls’ angst at wondering what the correct color of a squirrel should be for Kindergarten class. She had to see the apprehension in the eyes of her classmate but without missing a beat and with one simple word “gray” ALL was fixed. I know you’re thinking she should have added the word “duh” to that, but making others feel small just isn’t and never was her way. Thank you KB for being my best friend.