Ledge Friends

In ninth grade me, Blair, and McCall were best friends. In a weird sort of way I guess. McCall was my best girl friend. Blair was my best guy friend that I decided I shouldn’t “go out” with anymore until we turned sixteen and were old enough to date. As a side note, that “going out” didn’t really come at sixteen. The official “going out” came when we were twenty three and had proved that our friendship could survive letter writing for three years, other relationships, and two foreign countries. And we got married six months later. Strange…

Where was I? Oh yes, our bizarre trio of a friendship.

One night the three of us walked down to Burton Elementary and sat on the grass. McCall was crying and saying she was going to run away from home. I have no idea why; probably because her mom wouldn’t buy her those ugly Marilyn Manson red contacts. Her dad was an optometrist and she was always into weird things like zebra-striped contacts.

Blair chimed with less emotion that he wanted to run away from home too. Again, I have no idea. He might have been trying to make McCall feel better. Or maybe he was mad at his dad for showing up at Sam Allen’s party wearing his pajamas and telling Blair that he was late for curfew.

Pretty soon I started leaking salty splashes too. Not because I wanted to run away, but because I didn’t know how I could live without my two best friends. The thought just never occurred to me that I could pack my bags and leave my nutty family behind. Oh the teenage theatrics… Luckily, I talked McCall and Blair down from their runaway ledges - ledges that they probably weren’t even teetering on anyway.

The point is…I’m grateful for close friends. Close friends that understand me and talk me down from life’s ledges. Today was a cry for absolutely no reason day. Do you have those? Oh man, I have those all too frequently here. I simply don’t know what I would do without my ledge friend, Stefani. I always know that she’s twelve wooden stairs away whenever I need those rare spices that my recipes call for or a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes I’m too prideful to ask for help and admit that I need people. But I’m learning to peel off the layers of have-it-togetherness and reveal my vulnerabilities, my fears, and my insecurities. It’s a good feeling to let yourself need people and feel close to them. We need to let people help us. Stefani’s not the only one. So many of you have been true friends to me throughout my whole life. Today I just wanted to say thanks. I’m grateful today for ledge friends.

I love you all.