Gonna Take a Trip Down Memory Lane

First off, let me start out by saying I am absolutely, 100% FINE!! Nothing bad is going on with me, nothing bad has happened, and I'm not worried about any major situation.  In fact, it's the complete opposite of all those things.

Yesterday's post seemed to have raised some concerns with some of my long-time readers.  I always appreciate the support and concern I get from my blog readers.  The network of virtual friends I have is very touching.  But, to those people who reached out to me yesterday to make sure everything is OK?  It is.  Really.  

The post I wrote yesterday was not sparked by a problematic or depressing group of emotions.  On the contrary, the post was actually influenced by excitement, nostalgia, and content.  I was happy when I wrote that post... I still am, in fact.  

You see, for the past week or so I've been connecting with some old friends I had 15 years ago.. and haven't seen since.  Thanks to Facebook, stuff like that can happen.  And when I say close friends, I mean they were pretty much my family.  

When I was 16, I went through a really rough patch with my parents.  I didn't like their rules, and didn't agree with how I was being treated (ah, teenagers, right?).  So, I moved out.  Just up and left.  And moved in with some friends.  Two, actually, that happened to be siblings.  I was friends with the older (who I'll call K), but very close to the younger (who'll I'll call C) (they are only a year apart in age).  They lived with their dad who gladly took me in (after discussing it with my parents), and they became my family...they took care of me, helped me, and made me feel like they were there for me.  

I lived with them for a while, and we had a lot of fun together.  Memories that can never and will never be erased.  I would go out on a limb and say that those few months that I lived there were the best times of my teen years.  The very best.  

But, everything came to a sudden end when I got pregnant at 17.  

I'm not going to go in to the story or share all the juicy details.. but long story short, my pregnancy was the end of my living with my friends, and ever seeing them again.  And so it has been for the past 15 years.

Well, that's not entirely true.  We have casually encountered each other on Facebook before...several years back, I did connect (very briefly) with C, but it was short lived.  I have been friends with K on Facebook for a while, and we've spoken occasionally, but not more than a quick "How are you? How's life?" situation.  

But, that all changed a little over a week ago when the C reached out to me once again.  And we've been talking pretty much non-stop ever since.  Reminiscing, laughing, sharing our life stories with one another.  And that sparked me to reach out to K again and do the same.  

And tonight, I'm going to see the K for the first time in FIFTEEN YEARS!!!  

It's been a whirlwind of excitement.  I'm also nervous and happy.  It's amazing how time can pass by, yet after not speaking for 15 years, conversations can pick up right where they left off.  

This is so important to me for two reasons.  One, is connecting with the people I loved and were the closest to me during the time we lived together.  Two, being to catch up on everything that life has thrown our way and get rid of any negativity that may be lingering due to the circumstances that played out all those years ago.

I know that none of us bear any grudges.  We were young, stupid, and made mistakes.  Those mistakes have been forgiven, and we've moved on with our lives.  But, they were such an important part of my mid-teen years, that I feel a need to reconnect and have them back in my life.

The fact that fifteen years has gone by and we are being given this opportunity speaks volumes for the kind of relationship we all had.  Even though the relationship only lasted a little over a year and a half (with my living there for about 6 months of that), it's a friendship that has stood the test of time.  They know more about me than my family and my closest friends that I've had for years, and I about them.

It was a short, but very intense relationship we all shared.  When I was at the lowest point of my life, thus far, they brought me out of it.  They have no idea how much they did for me... and now I get the chance to share that information with them.  Thank them.  Show them that everything turned out OK, and life has been great.

I know this all sounds very bizarre, but I have to put it out there that K and C had absolutely NO say in how our friendship ended.  Adults took control of that situation and removed me from it.  Apparently I was quite the bad influence.  Which, I suppose I can understand now that I am an adult with kids of my own.  I may have done the same thing, knowing what I know now about being a parent.  They know I hold no resentment for how things played out, and it's just taken us all this long to realize that it was none of our faults and there's no reason we can't rekindle our bonds.

So K and I are making that first step by having dinner tonight.

C lives 9 hours away, otherwise the three of us would be getting together.

I'm excited.  I think it's going to be really great for both of us.  

But first, I should probably do some laundry and clean my house.  UGH!!!

Have a great Saturday!!