Can it really be (gasp!) 26 years since I was a freshman in high school? I don't feel much older than 26 myself! It's true though, I started high school in 1984. On the very first day of school I met one of my longest and dearest friends. It happened simply...I walked into the auditorium for the welcome speech and orientation and saw an empty spot near a girl who I thought looked interesting. It still floors me that Kristen and I are still friends. It's been a rocky road at times and our paths have not always been side by side but, despite all, we keep coming back together.

Today this dear friend of mine and I went shopping. It wasn't just any ordinary shopping though. It was a little more special because she was helping me pick out my costume for the birthday party of another one of my longest and best friends. I'm sitting here sorting through the finds from the day and smiling to myself at how lucky I am. I'm so grateful for my friends. I love being around people who really know me. It takes the pressure off. I'm just me and they are just them and it's effortless. We screw up and say the wrong things. We say the right things too. We're in it for the long haul so there's nothing to prove. It's just about being there and fighting the fight together.

This weekend I'll be hanging out with some of my best girls from way back (and some new ones too!). The party has an 80's theme and everyone is dressing up. Come Saturday we'll be flashing back to our younger days, hanging out and celebrating a huge milestone. And In case you haven't noticed, the 80's is kind of back in style again. So, as they say in the world of fashion, "everything old is new again". I think that applies to friendship too.