My oldest friend

We met when she was eight and I was six. There weren't many kids in our neighborhood, so when she came over, walking our neighbor's golden retriever, my sisters and I rushed over to say hello.

After getting permission from our mom, we were playing as if we had known each other all our lives. It was so easy to make friends when I was a kid. The self-consciousness wasn't there yet. There was no need to impress anyone or prove myself.

Her name was Sarah, and her family had moved in a few miles up the street from us.

Sarah and I were fast friends, and our friendship has continued throughout the years. Aside from my siblings, I think she's one of my oldest friends.

Sarah is a "best friend" to many people. Maybe it's because she gets along so well with everyone. Maybe it's because she makes everyone laugh. She's so lovable.

She's one of those people that can make anyone feel comfortable. You can open up to her and be yourself without fear of judgement.

We took ballet together for over five years: three days a week of classical ballet training. We got our first pairs of pointe shoes together. At that time, getting your pointe shoes meant you were that much closer to being an advanced student. It was a big deal!

But then our dance teacher left, because she wanted to spend more time with her kids. No one could argue with that. That summer was the summer of my diabetes diagnosis. I survived my near-death experience and transitioned into a new phase in my life.

Sarah's circumstances changed too. Her family moved to Florida. At this point, other close friends of mine had also moved. When she told me she was moving, I though that was it. I had a hard time with that sort of thing, because it meant our friendship would change. And there would be the usual sentiment of "We'll always be friends. Of course, I'll write to you and text you." But I was convinced we would still drift apart in the way that happens when there is distance.

People were always leaving this little town in the middle of nowhere. It's not exactly the place people come to stay. Sarah is one of the few who actually came back. Yes, she came back, and we picked up right where we had left off.

The dance scene had changed, but Sarah jumped right in and joined the new dance team that my sisters and I were a part of. My sister started her dance studio, and Sarah would come for the side porch ballet workshops. We both graduated high school. She is a little older than I, so she started on the adult journey first. We both grew up and started jobs. It was awkward while I was on night shift, but we still managed to find time to hang out.

My friendship with Sarah has constantly been one of picking up where we left off. Each time we get together, we agree that is has been too long and agree that we should get together more often. But it's also as if we had never been apart.

Sarah was and is my nerd friend, my book and coffee buddy, and my we-can-talk-about-anything bestie.

We could talk for hours about the latest in the Doctor Who world and about our favorite characters and episodes. Marvel and DC scatter into conversations here and there. When we get together, there's always coffee in one capacity or another. Plus, we both love books, making Barnes and Noble one of our favorite places to go when we hang out.

One time, we had made a plan to go shopping for jeans. We met up at Five Guys for a bite to eat and then came to the decision that going to Barnes and Noble was a higher priority.

"I need books. Who needs pants? There's always dresses," she said. I agreed, and we set off for the bookstore.

Another time we went to this place called The Book Barn. It was exactly what it sounds like: a barn crammed with more books than you can imagine and tended to by an old book keeper who knew where everything was. It would have been little creepy if either of us had gone alone, but since we were together, it was an adventure.

We both dabble in writing. I'm still convinced she's going to write that children's book one day.

Her family is the type that experiments when it comes to coffee. I love to hear about the latest type of coffee they've tried. Most of the time when we get together, there's a "but first, coffee," moment. Everything else falls into place after that.

But what I love most about Sarah is that I feel like I can talk to her about anything. Her range is diverse, and that's what makes it so easy to spend time with her. If I want to keep things jovial and lighthearted, she is more than happy to laugh and share funny stories. But if I need someone to talk to about the different things troubling my mind and soul, she is more than happy to listen and help me think through my options.

I couldn't be more grateful to have a friend like her. Friendships change over time. That's a normal part of life. You'll have friends that will only be a part of your life for a season, and you'll have others you'll outgrow. That's okay. But sometimes, you'll make a friendship that lasts, even if the times you get to see each other are few.

So, here's to the friends that stand the test of time. When you find them, guard them like the greatest treasures for that is what they are. Friends increase our happiness and decrease our sorrow, to paraphrase Cicero.

Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

Thanks for being there for me, Sarah. Thanks for being my friend.

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