I’m fortunate to have a lot of people in my life I consider friends. However, only a handful of these can be considered close friends. These are friends who I may not see for months or sometimes even years, but when we do get together, it’s as if no time has passed. I know their siblings and parents as well as my own family. I had dinner at Rustler’s Rooste in Phoenix, AZ with one such friend last week.

My cousin Debbie, Carol's brother Steve, Me, my cousin Jimmy and Carol

Carol and I have known each other since grade school when her family moved next door. She was in fifth grade and I was in fourth. I only mention this because at this point in my life, it’s fun to point out that she’s older. Her first boyfriend was my cousin and my first boyfriend was her brother. Carol and I, along with my cousin Debbie, spent our summers “picking” berries (we weren’t very productive, but we had a lot of fun!) and swimming. We were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings.

When Carol moved out of state, we only saw each other when she came home to visit her family. This was before email became an indispensable tool of communication, and long before we could follow each other’s daily lives on Facebook. But somehow we’ve been able to stay connected. Those long summer days as preteens and teens bonding over boys and difficulties with our mothers created an unbreakable connection.

Carol and her husband Dave

We reminisced over dinner about those days, but also talked about the satisfaction of being in long term marriages, the concern over watching our parents age, the trauma of going through the change, and plans for our retirement years. It’s great to be able to pick up right where we left off and know this is someone I can count on to understand who I was, who I’ve become and my journey to become a woman of finesse*.  To all my forever friends, this blog’s for you!

My friendship finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert            

What’s your friendship finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)