Life's small twists

Anthem, Arizona---I met her when I was 10 years old at Sunset Elementary School in Newton, Kansas. We made up a secret alphabet and would leave coded notes under a rock.  Years later, I would become best friends with her little sister as a lifeguard for two summers at the city pool. A couple more years later I would meet her at a college journalism convention in Williamsburg, Virginia and she would introduce me to a guy that I would end up falling in love with and move to Daytona Beach, Florida because of.

Life and how it goes in circles.

I visited her for the first time in 32-ish years yesterday in a suburb of Phoenix.  There is something amazing that happens when you get together with someone who knew you before you wore makeup…and actually did have naturally blond hair. 

Knowing what I know about her family and upbringing, it is no surprise that she is an amazing adult that has had a very successful career.

Everyone has stories and her life has not been easy. But she has come out with such an wonderful outlook on life. It is especially uplifting to be around someone who knows exactly what their gifts are in life and believe what their purpose is.

It was like no time had passed and even though she does not remember the secret note passing, we had more to talk about then time allowed. She has a great husband, full of personality. And for the first time, I got to meet her 16 year old daughter who had the same beauty as the family. We ate TexMex, what I consider one of the basic food groups, and tried to recall as many people as we could.

We also share a bond of sadness. A car accident on an icy road that looking back, was fate. I was 20, he was one of the lifeguards and 17.  It was Christmas Eve.  A loss of a friend that forever touched their family, his family and the group of lifeguards that had become more than co-workers but a gang of “work-not-so hard, play hard” friends.

I blame her for me living in Florida as she tries to convince me that Phoenix would be a great place to move.

After over 30 years, she's so beautiful, inside and out.

Life is funny. At 10 years old who would think that meeting this one person would end up being the catalyst to change your projection in life. But that’s how life works. And if you’re lucky enough to see them again, it can all makes sense.