Jenny was the first best friend I ever had! I hadn’t spent any time with her in nearly 40 years until just a few weeks ago. And I can tell you, I would have CHOSEN her as my first friend! Let me explain.
Our parents met over 50 years ago when Jenny’s folks moved to Indianapolis. Our dads were in residency together. Our moms became best friends & one another’s support system. Jenny & I were born about a month apart. That meant a total of 8 kiddos between the families! (Wow! I can’t even imagine.) Because our moms were BFF’s, Jenny & I became BFF’s by default. Fast forward to when my memory starts…
I vividly remember our special lunches at Block’s Tea Room. Oh, how I loved those lunches! I felt like such a big girl. I had a best friend just like my mom. We would laugh and giggle while our moms talked about grownup things. After our meal, we got to pick out a special toy from the treasure chest to take home. Sweet memories for sure.
But those weren’t the only sweet memories with Jenny. We went to see movies together, had birthday and slumber parties together and played together until we were about 5 or so. Every ticket stub, each toy from the Tea Room and all the other mementos from our time together went into a cigar box under my bed. That box represented my friendship with Jenny. But like a lot of first friendships, it faded away.
Jenny’s family moved into a new neighborhood with new kiddos and found a new best friend. It broke my heart. Being so little, I didn’t have the mental capacity to understand the loss. I just knew we didn’t play together any more. Jenny and her friend always asked me to play with them; but for some reason or another, it didn’t work out. So, our friendship faded. Gratefully, our mom’s did not!
Because our moms have remained dear friends for all these years, we have been able to keep tabs on each other’s lives. It just so happened that while I was in Florida on vacation visiting my folks this year, Jenny was there visiting her folks, too! And guess what we did?? We went to lunch just like we did when we were 5! She hasn’t changed one bit. Her smile, her kind eyes, her voice, her sweet spirit all exactly as I remember. I love her just as much now as I did when we were kids. Which is why…I would have CHOSEN her as my first best friend, regardless!!
My mom, Penny (Jenny’s mom), Jenny and my sweet daughter, Isabella. These wonderful women have put their stamp on my life! Thank you, Girls!
-Nancy