Christine

It is crazy to think that my oldest friend will be graduating from college in a matter of weeks! Christine and I grew up together and share so many wonderful memories. We met because our older brothers were friend. They lived 6 blocks away from us, so my brother and I would ride our bikes over to their house to play. I remember she had Beauty and the Beast barbie dolls. I was pretending that the dolls got married one day and when I made the dolls kiss, Christine got really animated and asked, "Do you know what french kissing is?!?!" She proceeded to explain it. I didn't believe her.

At six flags in 2000

We were close friends throughout all of elementary school. We were on the same softball and dance team so we would go to practice after school and then hang out in the evenings. Most of our time together was spent jumping on the trampoline, talking about boys, and dancing. This diary entry I found from March 5, 2001 is completely humiliating, but I know Christine will love it, so I am posting it for her sake:

"Dear Diary, Hi! I haven't written to you for 2 years. I am 12 years old and in 7th grade. Things have definitely changed! I go to KCMS and have the MOST FABULOUS friends. I love them so incredibly much. Also, I've become boy/N'sync CRAZY!! I'm going to the concert on 7/13/01 with Ali, Christi, and Christine... Well, my hand is cramped. LYLAD (Love you like a diary) - Em."

Oh my gosh. I can't believe I am posting that. I am blushing, but I had to include it because it captures so well what Christine and I were like then. I was really good about keeping things that were meaningful to me, so every now and then I still find old notes that we wrote to each other in the middle of class. They are exactly like that diary entry - lots of capitalization and too many exclamation points. You can practically hear the giggling.

Posing with our limo driver at Senior Prom

Christine and I with some of our other high school friends on my 18th birthday.

Christine and I continued into high school together. We both stopped playing softball to join theater. So instead of going to softball practice and then hanging out, we would go to play practices and then hang out. Christine was always there for me when I needed her. We shared the ups and downs our first few dating relationships and showed up in tears at one anothers door more than once. On those sad nights we would talk things through and then end up laughing, watching a romcom, and eating mac and cheese.

This is one of the few pictures I have with her from UNC. I think its funny.

Our first semester of college we were at different school, but then I joined up with her at UNC our second semester. We would drive to class together in the morning and it was almost like we had a debriefing about all that was going on in our lives every day. She was an incredible friend to me in the midst of a lot of transitions. And she stuck with me even though I would make her listen to this song in the car everyday because I was obsessed with it.

To this day we still have text message conversations at least once a week and we always get together whenever we are in the same town. I really miss her when we are apart. But, our reunions are always awesome. She is a sweet girl. I am really, really, really grateful that she has been so loyal to me through out our lives. Friendships like these are rare. I can't wait to see her this June for a night out on the town!

Congratulations on graduating soon, Christine! You have worked hard for it. I know you have a lot of changes coming up in the future, but you can count on our friendship. I am only a phone call and a 3 hour plane ride away.