4.12.2011

with a little help from my friends

Last night I finished reading The Girl From Ames.
  
www.girlsfromames.com
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the book despite the style of writing, which was more factual than emotional. Go figure, it was written by a man! But I found myself laughing and crying throughout the book and identifying with each of the characters.
christmas party2008


This story was particularly interesting to me because I have a similar relationship to a group of girls that I grew up with... we would be referred to as The Girls From Mayville.
senior spring break @ a condo in Wisconsin Dells

We grew up in a tiny town in the middle of Wisconsin with a population of a little over 4,000. Some of us went to elementary school together... others went to private elementary schools, but we all met up in high school because there were no private high schools in Mayville.
partying like it was 1999 (because it was!)

We had sleepovers, went to parties in cornfields and barns, went to football, basketball, and volleyball games, took frequent trips to the closest Taco Bell (which was about 30 minutes away) and more than once found ourselves in the back of a cop car together.
senior prom 2000

Since graduating from Mayville High School in 2000, we have all scattered across the country. Katie moved to Hawaii after college and now lives in Atlanta, and so does Angie. Angela moved to Oklahoma a few months after I did in 2003 and just relocated to Denver, CO last year. Jamie, Jill, and Sara have all stayed in Wisconsin but none of us live in Mayville anymore.
Katie's bachelorette party in MN
 Despite the distance, we have all managed to keep in touch. We email, facebook, text, and plan yearly reunions. In 2009 we all met in Minneapolis for Katie's wedding. Last year we all flew to Denver to celebrate Jill's bachelorette party. In January, we all went 'home' for Jill's wedding and now we're planning a surprise bachelorette party for Jamie in Atlanta this fall.

katie's wedding Oct 2009

I couldn't be more thankful for this amazing group of friends. There's just something comforting about a friend who has known you since childhood... witnessed your bad perms, stone washed jeans, heart aches, and mistakes... and they still love you!

Katie and I in 1999

Reading this book gave me a glimpse of what the future holds for my group of friends. I have no doubt that we'll all still be close when we're (gulp) in our forties.

Okay, enough rambling for me today... I'll leave you with this poem about friendship :)

A Friend Is...

A friend is someone we turn to
When our spirits need a lift,
A friend is someone we treasure
For our friendship is a gift,
A friend is someone who fills our lives
With Beauty, Joy, and Grace
And makes the world we live in
A Better and Happier Place.

-author unknown

4 comments:

  1. Yay for friends! It looks and sounds like you've had some good times with your friends. :)

    Makes me wonder... will I still be friends with MY friends when I grow up?

    Great post, I liked seeing all the photos!

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  2. You are sooo lucky to have those friends. I always wanted to have that. :(

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  3. Awesome photos! :) I'm glad you're still friends with all of them!! Sounds like you’ve had some great times ;D
    I've never had a friend for too long. I'll get a best friend, and then the following year I’ll rarely see them! Or, they’ll stop keeping in contact with me… what’s up with that?? ;)

    FirstBlueHours~ I wanted that for awhile too. I always share friends with my sisters. I wanted friends that were my own. That I only hung out with. Then, I realized that I didn't need that! I have 3 great best friends, and that's who I stick with :)

    I wonder who I'll be friends with when I grow up?? <3
    *Hugs!*
    Jordan

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  4. Taylor Lynn... it's definitely possible! It takes commitment and scheduling time for phone dates and get togethers but it's all worth it!

    Diana... I am pretty lucky but don't worry, we will adopt you :) all the girls will love you when they finally get to meet you!

    Jordan... thanks! I dug a few photos up but I have a whole tote full of pics from high school in the garage that I need to go through again!
    I've had many friends come and go throughout the years... I think this may answer that question better than I could... :)
    http://bit.ly/gw8LcA

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