True Friends Never Fade

I will be the first to admit that I lost touch with many people over the years. In fact, I have blogged about that previously. What I found this weekend, though, is that true friends never really go away.

Nicole and I were friends in high school--we were part of a trio that was inseparable. We went everywhere together. When I graduated from high school we stayed in touch and went to lunch, dinner, movies, etc. We even made an ill-fated and ridiculous trip to Richmond, Indiana to track down two guys that we had met at Kings Island the day after I graduated from high school (loooong story--maybe I'll tell you all sometime).

When she graduated from high school she went away to college. That's when the separation started. We still talked, but it wasn't as often. She came home from college from time to time and we talked, but it was different. I wasn't naive enough to believe that everything would always be the same, but I never really thought it would be all the different.

When it came time for me to get married, she was the first person I thought of to be my maid of honor. She lived up to the title, was amazing and fabulous and I thought that we would go back to almost how we used to be. And then she moved to New York and the separation became greater. I still thought of her often, but we never really talked. I missed her. Two years ago she moved to Columbus. Sure, she was closer, and we got together the day of one of my other best friend's wedding...but when she went back to Columbus she never called (and, in all honestly, neither did I). I was beginning to think that she and I grew too far apart to be friends.

But I was wrong.

Sunday was her birthday. On Wednesday of last week I got a phone call from Gini who said Nicole wanted us to drive up to Columbus to spend her birthday with her. At first I thought it was just Gini wanting company on the ride, but, when I signed onto Myspace I saw the message from Nicole inviting me up. I took the opportunity and off we went.

I got to meet her new boyfriend (who is fabulous), I got to meet her friends (also fabulous). Most importantly, I got to reconnect with her. Long after everyone went to bed, Nicole and I sat up and talked. We were up until five in the morning talking about Chris, TJ, her life, her future--everything. It was great to just spend time with her again.

Do I think everything is going to be like it was ten years ago? Hell no. Do I think we can be friends again? Yes, I do. I think that we can be new friends--and that is the best thing I can hope for.

True friends--friends who are supposed to be in your life for a long time--never really fade. They just change...and that's okay.