Where Once You Skinnydipped, Now You Change Diapers

Cherish friendship in your breast-
New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
- Joseph Parry

One of my very bests friends is also my roommate senior year from college. She disliked me at first sight. And although we don't get much face-time these days (she's down in southern California and I'm up here in Santa Cruz), we still manage to talk on the phone a lot, and keep each other up to speed on one another's lives. Our lives, have been fairly parallel...we both got married within a few months of each other, had kids (both of them) within months of each other, deal with the same things, have similar histories, similar life-views, etc., etc. It's amazing to me, when I pause to think about it, that we're both where we are, already. Especially when, upon seeing her, I'm quickly transported back to those laughing, carefree college days.

She is one of those friends (besides disliking me upon first meeting), who the instant you hear their voice, nothing has changed, no time has passed, and there is no awkwardness. One of those people you feel like will be your friend until you kick.

And I had the pleasure of seeing this friend, Kiersten (she sometimes comments on this blog -- but mostly she just blog-stalks me -- and she'd admit to the same), a few days ago. (If you want to see photos, you can do so by clicking here. It was so great to see her, and I've been thinking about her a lot since last Monday, when we got together with our husbands and two kids each. I've been thinking how, despite the distance, she has maintained a ferocious intimacy with me, and that I feel completely comfortable around her. She knows my warts and my downfalls, and she loves me in spite of these things. (Heck, we went through some of the fattest/ugliest years of our lives together, in college.) And I feel so grateful

to have her in my life. To know I can say anything to her, and it will not be met with judgement, in fact, more often she'll attempt to buoy me. She even sacrificed her family and almost a week of her life to come and nurse me (and my family) immediately after I had my back surgery. She defenitely saw me at my very, very worst at that point. And I didn't even care. She even had to bodily lift me out of bed at certain points, and she did it with a smile and a 'shut up' if I thanked her or said sorry I was so out of it. And I hope she knows I'd do the same for her (let's just hope it's for something more fun than back surgery -- like a breast augmentation or something).

What I think is so funny is that she disliked me, before she even met me, especially given as I now count her one of my very dearest and best friends (and have so for years). We were both in the same sorority (shut up!), and she saw me from afar and decided she didn't like me. I can't remember why (I think it was the outfit I was wearing or something...? Maybe she can re-enlighten me). I remember when I first met her I thought she was beautiful, and confident and hysterically funny, and I think I was a little intimidate by all of that. And she still is all those things (although, she doesn't intimidate me anymore). But I also know now, that she has a depth of character and a kindness that is often belied by her quick wit and lightning-fast brain. And I treasure her. And when I think back to our first precipitous meeting, as well as the friendship that quickly formed, I cannot believe those too crazy girls -- and the fact that they were so extremely wary of one another -- are where they are today. I think the saying is 'deep calls to deep,' and I think we recognized ourselves in one another, and that often (though happily, not in this case), can make you dislike someone all the more, for seeing some of the same things of yourself in another.

I have so many memories with this wacky girl: skinny-dipping in the Leavey pool at midnight (with camera of course!), the ridiculous poem(s) we made up in bed and laughing so hard I almost fell out of my bunk bed, the long car rides and hours and hours of talks we've had about everything and nothing, and the laughing -- oh the laughing! This girl kills me. And what's more wondrous, to me, is that we still manage to entertain each other as much (if not more, in some ways) as we did in college. Like I said, I can't believe we, with our kids and careers and husbands and our busy-busy-busy lives, we continue to strengthen the bond that began with the glare across the room.

And also, these are the not-as-incriminating pictures, of the ones I could have uploaded. I'm not kidding. You're welcome, Kier. =)

Comments

[Humble Kier]

WOW Kel - just what I needed to release some PMS tears :) To be perfectly honest with you, I was in awe of you when I first met you and in those days - Kiersten was only in awe of herself :) But as time went on, it became clear to me that you would be a part of my life forever and it was OK for me to need that. You have taught me so much about life through all of our talks (and there were many) and about love through all of your actions. I feel honored to have known you and Ross from "the first moment" and continue to be honored at every step of life that I get to share with you. It's so funny, b/c if I am going through a rough time, my mom will always say "Call Kel, she always makes you happy" and you do. I am so blessed that I have been able to "grow old" with you - you are an amazing person... PS "I accept my weight, I accept my weight..."" :)

[DrM2B]

okay goils....I don't know U from Adam...but STOP!! U'r making me cry.......U two are sooo blessed to have 'emerson friends' in eachother....I myself have learned the meaning of 'its not the quantity ...but the quality' thru the years.......thanx for a great read (hugging her pups as she reads.....)

[misty]

Very sweet. I had a great time with Kiersten at your 30th. I kept sitting there wondering if we had meet some where else. It's probably because she is so personable. Glad you got to see her!

[misty]

Oh yeah, another thing. I'd rather change change diapers anyday then to skinny dip. That sounds like a nightmare come true. I can't even sleep naked let alone swim naked. Now that I have kids I fear they will need me and I will be unprepared. Or the house will catch fire and that robe I gave to the good will be mocking me as I run screaming into pubic view. I dreamed that once, not the robe part but the street part. How sad. It really makes no sense. I think the only thing that could relax me into being okay with being nude is terrible and horrible hard labor. Not much else though.

[Ross]

I did the whole skinny dipping thing for a Frat thing in college. Of course, we had to run all the way across campus first, avoiding other students - especially those with cameras - and towards the end of the naked run, avoiding the PO-lice. Ah, those were the days. Stupid, but carefree, days. Remember when we'd play Circle of Death, and I'd make everyone do Pirate sounds when they drank. Oh man - that was classic! Hahaha.

Switching subjects. Kier, I love you too. You're the best. A good friend to us all for many years. We are so very fortunate to have you in our lives. We love you.

[Kelly]

College was so fun. It seemed like we played circle of death almost nightly, followed by a Jack In the Box/Burger King/Taco Bell run, or failing that gorging on Top Ramen or Mac and Cheese (hence the being fatter than I've ever been in my life, right?). My favorite game memory was when we decided to do 'medical terms', and Steve's word was Diflucan. Oh. My. Gosh. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house, we were laughing so hard. And the pirate sounds were always my favorite: argh!

And Misty -- you'd rather change diapers than be naked? Dude. We need to talk.

[Lolo]

I saw someone in my coffee shop where I study yesterday, and I SERIOUSLY thought she was Kiersten. I did a double take (or more like a long hard stare, which kinda freaked her out) because she absolutely resembled this person who's picture I just saw online. Alas, it was not her/you, but still kinda strange. Kiersten, do you have a twin in Baltimore?

[Lindsey]

Oh my gosh, I almost peed my pants laughing at those pictures of Bella dancing, what a nut! Looks like you guys had fun partying hard at the beach house.