The Good Ol' Days

I always get reminisant (is that a word?) when I get together with friends from my past. The other day I had lunch with my oldest friend.(she's not old, we've just been friends for 40 years, Oh, I guess that makes us old) There are certain things you just never forget. Do I remember what I ate for lunch yesterday? No...do I remember the first time I met my friend when I was only 3 years old? Of course...we had just moved into our new house on Elaine Drive in Bountiful, I ventured down the street aways, 2 doors down another little girl about my age was riding her tricycle in her driveway. I asked what her name was. "Melinda" she told me. Well, to a couple of 3 year olds, that was proof enough we were destined to be best friends. So, the life-long friendship of "Linda and Melinda" began. I think we were pretty much inseperable back then. I remember our clubhouse underneath her stairs, where we would play dolls up until about 5th grade, telling ourselves we weren't too old for dolls, we were just preparing ourselves to be really good mommies. I remember our coloring contests, playing Yahtzee, making crazy concoctions of ice-cream, mud and grass and trying to convince her sister (sorry Michelle) that it was really yummy! I remember taking gymnastics lessons with her, and skiing lessons. Everytime I eat Smokehouse Almonds I think of us eating our lunch in the cold bus after our lessons. She was a much better skier than I was and got off the bunny hill faster than me, but she guided me down the hill like a true friend.
I'll never forget the time we were sledding down the big hill at the school, Mindy in the front, Lisa in the rear, I was sandwiched in the middle. We collected great speed and was heading for the school doors, unfortunately they weren't opened. Mindy's outstretched leg slowed us down as it took the brunt of the hit, and broke it. I gave Lisa a bloody nose with the back of my head, and I ended up with a headache. Good times. Our winters were full of snowman building, sledding down our neighborhood streets, and skiing. Our summers were full of 4-H, jumping on trampolines and sleeping under the stars.
Then the unthinkable happened...our Ward split! I cried because we wouldn't be in the same ward anymore, she cried because she wouldn't be in the same ward as my cute neighbor, the boy she had a crush on. Junior High and High School brought on new changes as well. We gained new friends, had different classes, but for the most part stayed good friends through it all. College and marriage, kids and husbands. Life went on for each of us, but when we run into each other at the park for the fireworks, or take the time to meet for lunch, it's as if time stood still.
Were just 2 little girls, having a tea-party, talking about mommie things and agreeing that playing dolls, really did make us better mom's!
Love ya Mindy! Let's do it again soon!