This is Superman's third oldest daughter, who I am going to call Stella from here on out. She will hate that but I love it so she'll have to get over it! She is the oldest of our children living at home. The two girls on each side are her very best friends. As I was taking these pictures I couldn't help thinking about my own BFF's from back in the day. I have known and loved some of those girls since I was in kindergarten, 30 plus years ago. And I love them just as much today as I did back then.I still remember Julie walking into my classroom. Ricky Turpin had punched me in the stomach over swing rights on the playground so I was the only one in from recess and in walks this girl in pink overalls, sucking on her fingers, crying. The teacher had her sit next to me on the rug while she and Julie's mom chatted. I, being shy myself, somehow got up the courage to say hello.
Julie was married at 15, a mom at 16 and divorced before she turned 18 years old. She has suffered at the hands of abusive husbands, given up twin babies for adoption and all told, given birth to SIX children. She is now a grandmother of a gorgeous bouncing baby boy and still has a 6 year old girl tugging on her apron strings at home. Who would have thought that her life would take such twisted turns and bounce over such rugged roads but through it all she has never allowed our friendship to fade away. No matter where we are living, our situations in life, good or bad, she has always managed to find me. She is brave, she is strong, she has been to hell and come out the other side and she is my friend. And I love her more than she will ever know.
Then there is Robin. Robin Hood, to be exact. Her father had a sense of humor and Robin had to learn to cope. I personally LOVED that her name was Robin Hood but then I'm not the one who had to carry it. The way she coped was by being the most sarcastic, the most FUNNY person I have ever met in my life. NOBODY else in this world has ever been able to take the absurdities that life has thrown our way and turned them into something bearable with as much ease and quick wit as she did. I learned to appreciate the fine art of dry humor and sarcasm from Robin and I will NEVER be as good at it as she is. Robin was a hard rockin', big haired, smart-ass exterior that covered a shy and sensitive heart. She graduated from high school a year early and we lost touch for almost twenty years. But when we finally spoke on the phone again this summer, it was like that twenty years never happened. She is my sister of the heart, my kindred spirit. I will NOT lose you again, Robin, EVER! You're stuck with me till the end of time.
Then Shari. The most shy girl I had ever met. Sweet, lovely but had no idea how wonderful she really was. Shari introduced me to Elvis Presley and Fabian. We had sleepovers ALL THE TIME stayed up late to watch Headbanger's Ball. She got me interested in horror movies and greek mythology. Her daddy played guitar and sang us old fifties tunes and I'm sure she thought it was "SO EMBARASSING!" but I thought it was totally cool.
Because of her own father's addictions, Shari too struggled with her own. But she is clean now, living with a great guy and sounds happier than I've ever heard her. She told me that I was her friend when no one else would be but I wouldn't know anything about that. I truly loved Shari then and I still do now. Anybody who thought themselves too good to be her friend really robbed themselves of something special. She is just as wonderful today as she was then and I hope she knows how much her friendship means to me.
Kim, shy, sweet, came from a broken home, just like me. We camped together, went boating together, built a club in a dirty old cellar in her mom's backyard. She was the girl who understood where I was coming from when I had to tell people that I had two mom's and two dad's and half sisters and that even though we didn't CRY over it, there was still this unspoken stigma attached and she GOT THAT!
Kim married her high school sweetheart and against all odds, they are still married, have a BEAUTIFUL house full of kids and one son serving a church mission. She rocks! She really does. Way to go, Kim.
Monique, pretty, stylish, had HUGE HAIR!...HUGE! What was UP with that?! Always dressed immaculate, always had every hair Aqua Net-ed into place. She taught me how to do my make-up, take pride in my appearance. Was constantly dressing me up, like her own personal makeover barbie doll. Monique decided she wanted to be my friend and basically adopted me. Her family became my family and I was treated by her and her parents like one of their own. Monique wrapped her arms around me when I felt all alone in the world. She heard my confessions and refused to judge. We dried each others tears and lifted each other up when it seemed like the people around us only wanted to push us down. And I still can't eat a smothered burrito with cheese and not think about her.
Monique met her husband fifteen years ago after I introduced them. He was the complete opposite of what I considered her type and never imagined in a million years that he would be the ONE. But she wanted him from the moment she laid eyes on him and that was the end of it. They are still married, he adopted her son from a previous relationship and raised him as his own. Together, they had two more children. She is now the proud grandmother (AMAZING!) of a baby girl and sure enough, Monique is already dressing her up in the latest fashions. I love you Neeky! Thank you for your friendship! You know I am always here if you need me.
Raeshell, I have already written about you on my blog. There is just too much to say in just one paragraph. Thank you for the wild times, thank you for the life lessons, thank you for being there when I needed you and thank you for being there now cuz I never really stopped needing you.
Jenny, we have been living with each other for 20 years. We have helped raise each other's children, stood by each other through our successes and our failures, fought and made up, knocked each other down a notch or two when it was needed and given each other the strength to keep going when we didn't think we could take anymore. I think my stepmom summed it up best when I told her that I was moving to Planet Vernal and she said "I'm so happy for you!" and I said "Happy for me and Superman?" and she said "No! I'm happy for you and Jenny!" I couldn't live without you in my life. I wouldn't know how. You are more my sister than my friend and you know we'll still be confessing and fighting and nagging our husbands and driving our children bonkers together when we're eighty years old.
As for my Stella, my IZ, my Little Tomato and all of your beautiful friends, all I can say is, HANG ON! It's gonna be a bumpy ride! But as long as you've got each other, you can weather any storm. The friendships you forge at this time in your life will transcend time, men, children, loss, marriage, divorce, miles. It's a beautiful thing. A miracle really. There will never be a person in your entire life who will accept you, THE ENTIRE YOU, as much as your best women friends. Don't ever take it for granted. It's strong and it's mystical, held together by tears and laughter, shared experience and lots and lots of estrogen.
