What Friendship Is Made For
Listening To: Blood by The Middle East (it makes my heart swell every time I hear it).
Reading: My Year With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock (more on this incredible book later!)
There are some friendships that faithfully withstand the test of time. My gal pal, Allie, is one of those friends. From being gawky high school freshmen to poised (or so we like to think) college students, we have experienced together everything from demanding school classes, family difficulties and awkward guy predicaments. Who we were the day we met seems light years away from our present selves. Yet, just yesterday, we were cruising through town listening to the same Joshua Radin songs and before you knew it, we were squealing about cute boys just like we used to.
Some things never change.
Sometimes I like to think it’s just our way of taking a break from being so mature and level headed. That seems realistic, right?
RIGHT?!
(…..Maybe don’t answer that)
The funny thing about Allie and I is that no matter how many days, weeks or months go by without seeing each other, we always pick up right where we left off. This week, we were both on break from school and immediately made plans to catch up. I can’t remember the last time a sleepover seemed appealing with any of my high school friends, but with Allie, it was a given. We prepared for the event with sugary snacks, Redbox movies and a plethora of untold stories. Let’s just say our so-called “poised” selves didn’t show up that night…
The next day, we redeemed ourselves by driving to Starved Rock State Park in Ottowa for a scenic nature walk. (I was tempted to call it a hike, but when you see the shoes we wore, you’ll understand).
In fact, you might refer to it as a nature tiptoe. Since I didn’t realize how much mud had accumulated over the past week from the wet weather, I didn’t think twice about wearing my new shoes. They were an early Christmas present from my older brother and add what I like to call the “cuteness factor” to any outfit.
HOWEVER, I was soon confronted with muddy path after muddy path through the otherwise breathtaking forest. My unflagging commitment to keeping them clean would have made any avid hiker wince. My shoes have the slightest of heels and I cringed at the thought of soiling them. So I avoided every puddle, every soggy leaf, and every uneven path of grass by teetering on the very tips of my toes for the first half of our trek. I’m ashamed to say, I chose the risk of twisting my ankle over just washing my shoes later. Pretty soon, I started to get strange looks from other hikers. But it wasn’t until I tripped three times in a row during a particularly bumpy part of the trail that I gave up and walked like a normal human being.
Other than ruining any credibility I could have had as a hiker, Allie and I proved to be quite in tune with nature that afternoon. Two deer pranced nearby and for a second, they looked tempted to stay and hang out. We knew our charm was hard to resist! Also, some wild turkey ran by at the beginning of the trip that we swear were showing off for us. All in all, the idyllic scenery filled us with a sense of wonder and awe at the beautiful world we live in.
No matter what Allie and I decide to do, her sneakily hilarious sense of humor and my uncapped enthusiasm make for a memorable hang out. Beyond even the most outrageous memories, the best part of our friendship is found in the moments where words aren’t needed. In the space between the present and the future, a wide gulf of the unknown often threatens to overwhelm me. Worse than not having a handy step-by-step guide through it all is buying into the lie that being afraid is the same thing as being weak. But I have been given a Provider to fill in the bravery and steadfastness that I lack. And one way He does that is by giving me friends. Allie faces the same set of unknowns as I do: What Job will I get? Where will I live? Who will I love? Will I be okay? As we stand side by side preparing for each life stage that looms before us, her honesty about her fears reminds me that it’s okay to be hesitant about the future. That’s just part of being human. We aren’t going to know what will happen to us tomorrow. I can’t even predict how I’ll be feeling 20 minutes from now. But one thing we can count on is having one another to lean on through it all.
Here is one of the paths we took through Starved Rock. We were so excited to see that it wasn’t made of mud!
We drove past miles of tangled, sorrowful woods. I loved how they were frightening, yet somehow still beautiful.
These zig-zaggy stairs were fun to climb!
We balanced my camera on the railing to take a photo of ourselves. It was risky I tell you! But that’s just the kind of adventure hungry gals we are. (….ha)
