Friends

I had a wonderful conversation with someone who has now known me over three quarters of my life today. MES is my Canuck friend who doesn't hold it against me that I can't sing past "Oh Canada, my home and native land". Of course I don't hold it against her that she is currently sitting in 79 degree weather with no humidity (yesterday was 95 degrees with a "feels like" of 105 in Edgewater).


We have known each other since we were in the same 5th grade class together. We were in a French immersion program where the Canadian students were "forced" to go and the British and American students were jumping over each other to get in. Just one of the wonders of being in an International School was that we had at least 5 different countries represented and there was a principal, and vice principal, as well as an office for each of the different groups. When the teacher told you to go to the principal's office you had to ask, Canadian, American, or British.

It was the first time that I was introduced to a la carte lunches. Here in the states you stand in line, tell the lunch lady what main course you want, what veggie you want, what fruit, and then choose a milk (skim, whole, or chocolate) for one price from your first day in kindergarten through middle school. I will never forget going to the lunch room with my money and after standing in line half the lunch period, asking for chicken strips and being given just that. I was able to get a soda (which if my mother had known I doubt that I would have been buying lunch for very long) as a drink and having a few coins left over!

Every morning we would stand, and those of us that were American would say the pledge of allegiance. I had a French Canadian teacher for 5th and another Canadian for 6th grade. It was amazing that so many people used the school building. We used the building for concerts, Girl Scout meetings, math club, year book and we used to walk half a mile to take swimming lessons once a week. One Monday we came in to find the chairs had all been moved since Friday and were told that the German students had to come to school on Saturdays. We felt bad for them until we found out they got to leave school at mid-day the rest of the week.

MES and I started corresponding by mail when I left AFCENT in the summer of 1988. There have been some very long stretches when we have not been in contact but up until last year she would always get a Christmas Card from me. (Yes, last November/December was a bit crazy and I did not get any cards out at all.)  We have been e-mailing for almost 7 years now, so we can at least get little family updates every once in a while.  Even though we have been far apart we have grown up together.

I want a friend like this for MAC. She has found it very difficult to make and keep friends, so even though we have been in the same state and county since the day she was born she has not been able to make a friend who stays for the long haul. I'm not saying that it is easy to be her friend, she can be very jealous, doesn't always think before speaking, and can sometimes physically hurt you without meaning to. On the other hand if someone will look below the surface she is a very caring person who has a heart as big as Montana, and when she decides to bestow it, a smile that just melts your anger away.


I hope that in the months to come, as school starts again, she will continue the search for her elusive “best friend”. I have been very lucky in finding SG and MES, I hope she will one day be able to say that she just got finished skypeing with her best friend who has know her over half of her life.