unsent letter #1 – to my oldest friend

dear alicia,

it’s funny how memory works — honestly i can’t remember what i ate for breakfast yesterday but i DO remember the first time i met you, all the way back when we were 5 years old. perhaps only the most important or cherished memories remain. it was ‘introduction to kindergarten day’ where the future students and parents all gathered in their prospective classroom to meet their teacher and classmates. i pretty much only remember that there was an indoor sanbox and you were in it, and i asked it i could play with you. you said yes and that was that! friendships and social interaction in childhood is so simple and straightforward…i love it 🙂 i think we were in each other’s classes throughout elementary school, maybe skipping a year or two. but when i switched schools in grade 7 to go to the all girls school down the road from me, and you moved to the next town over, our friendship kind of faded away. i’m not sure whose idea it was, but we wrote letters for 2 or 3 years, even though we lived a mere half hours drive from each other. writing has always been an easy form of communication for me, (until i became a bit of a procrastinator) so this worked well. and when we finally came into our own, stood on our own 2 feet with confidence and stability, we started to see each other in person again. it may not be often, or well planned, but we do get together every once in a while and the one thing that surprises and delights me every time is how easy it is to fall back into that friendship-comfort zone. you’re so down to earth, approachable and honest. you’re hilarious and you have strong opinions. you’re smart and ambitious and i wish that i had as much drive as you do. you’re getting your masters and travelling the world for research – i love that you’re so devoted to and interested in something that you’d put years into its study. even though we don’t talk a lot, i love catching up with you, getting the hometown gossip, bitching about our families, recounting the last weeks/months that we haven’t been in touch…. i’m so happy that you found the perfect man, and i can’t wait until your wedding. i know that distance will likely prevent me from being a part of the wedding party, but i’m going to get you something awesome, take lots of pics, get hammered at your reception (you know you will, too!!) and put up with any sort of bridezilla behaviour.

love ya!!