Flashback Friday

This week's Flashback Friday is about friends.

My Flashback:
Thinking about my friends from childhood, several girls come to mind. There were several classmates that started with me in Kindergarten, and we went through 12th grade together. One friend was Kelli. I remember the birthday parties at her house. She would have sleepovers, and we had such fine playing hide and seek in the house. We'd divide into teams and make clues to find the hidden girl. Her family moved away our 10th grade year I believe. I've kept in touch with her through the years, and she was able to come to our 10 year reunion a few years ago.

Another friend was Renee. We lived near each other so we rode the same bus. We often sat together on the bus ride. Renee was a sweet girl and a great athlete and gymnast. She invited me to go to "cheer camp" with her in the sumemrs (I was never any good at that!!), and she was one of our cheerleaders in middle school. Her family was moving, I believe it was the summer after our 7th grade year. At the end of June Renee was involved in an accident on a four wheeler. She was in a coma for a long time. She survived though, thankfully. We have always kept in touch through email, calls, and letters in the mail. She is a great encourager and such a happy person. Even with all she went through, she is always smiling and spreads joy to those around her.

Casey was one grade younger than me. We had a class together in elementary school. Then in high school one year I had a different lunch from my other friends so I sat with her. Those were fun times. When she graduated, she spent one year at another college but then came to ACU. We would meet every week to go eat lunch or supper together. I loved that so much! We continued that until we moved away after my husband finished school. She went on to become a lawyer. Whenever we would be in the area we'd meet for supper. I was so excited when she moved to my area about a year ago. She is about 30 minutes away, and we meet for lunch most weeks. She is my "forever friend."

I had several guy friends too all through school and appreciate those friendships as well. I felt like these guys respected me and were true friends. I enjoyed working with two of them in planning our 10 year reunion.

There were others who were friends from church. I had one friend named Deena. I remember when we found out her family was moving. I was so sad to lose this friend. But I thought it was so neat when I learned she was moving to Bethany, OK. In the beginning we kept in touch through letters but lost touch for some years. We have reconnected now on Facebook. Deena is in Russia with her husband at this time.

I've enjoyed remembering these friendship memories for this week's Flashback Friday.

Have a day of blessings!