Crackers and JAM!
Today is my best friend Juli's birthday. This picture was taken by Rob during our recent trip out to Colorado to visit her and her husband Chad.
I adore Juli. We met in the 7th grade, we were 12 and she had just moved to my town. I was a brat and she was the new girl. She tells this very funny story about how we first met. Apparently she was working the "Buy a Carnation for Valentine's Day" table. We had these fundraisers for just about any holiday. You could purchase a carnation for your friends and it was sent to them during homeroom. The number of carnations you carried was a badge of popularity. I hated those days. I walked up to Juli wearing a red and white striped sweater and Sassoon Jeans (this was 1988 after all) with zippers and a bow at the heel. I fully remember these articles of clothing however, I do not remember wearing them on this particular occasion. This is all Juli's memory. Then and there she decided she would be my friend.
In the 8th grade I made her sign a contract. I wish we still had the contract. It's in a landfill somewhere, Juli's mom threw it out with her year books (Juli's mom is a cuckoo. We love her, but man is she the source of some funny stories.) The contract centered around my 13-year old insecurity. Worried that I would someday not be cool enough for her and she would leave me for another. She never did, and neither did I. We're still best friends to this day. I talk to her about 80 times a week and I can't wait for us to live near each other again. She was my matron of honor as I was hers. She will help me raise my kids and teach them aspects of life that I will never be able to grasp, let alone teach. We will be old ladies together. I can't wait. She is the absolute best.
Happy Birthday Jam!
posted by Bookish Wendy at 8/25/2005
14 Comments:
What a wonderful tribute to a beautiful friend and friendship. You're both very lucky! Not that you need me to tell you that. ;)
i second what elisa said. you are indeed very lucky. happy birthday jam. my guess is that you're crackers, correct?
The picture says it all -- thank you for a wonderful post.
Everybody needs a friend like Julie. I'm so glad you have each other.
What a great friend! I am glad you have someone so special in your life! what a wonderful post :)
Very sweet. I hope Juli has a great birthday!
That's a great picture. I love that you made her sign a contract, how cute. I should have made some of my childhood friends sign one. And probably a couple exes too haha.
Happy Birthday Juli! She's such a sweetheart. Hopefully we can convert her to our knitting group here in Denver! :-)
What a lovely story. Wenders posted a "what story do you want me to tell" poll. It was pretty gutsy for an insecure girl to write out a contract! WTTG! I missed you.
You're the bestest Wen! That was my most favorite bithday present...I'm pretty lucky to have declared you as my friend way back then...by the way they were "eSasson" jeans...and yes you're right they did have the bow on the back bottom pant leg :).
Love you...Juli
first off, happy b-day to Juli. Who needs to start coming to our knit groups. So that we can all blog about how much fun we're having and convince Bookish Wendy to move to CO.
second... sniff. friendships are something I value deeply, they're chosen carefully, and crafted from similar interests, time spent together, and consideration/apprecation for each other. Friends are the people you love AND like.
Catching up on blogville after vacation, I see you have gone and shown your ta-tas to the world wide web. Sigh. Kids today. What really shocked me was the revelation that it's YOU in the dorks underwear. Somehow that never occurred to me. Obviously it should have.
Tres cute.
love from a worried mom in NYC
It is really nice to have a friend like that. Not everyone gets to be that lucky. And some who are, don't get to keep it for long.
Enjoy her forever.
:)
Hi - Thanks for the 'best ideas' comment - but I was motivated by *you* and your story about a contract for friendship...
I never had a contract, but did make one of my best friends in college fill out an application. Still have it. Cracks me UP, as it includes a required essay on the signfigance of the Limp Bizkit song 'Nookie' and three references.
Post a Comment
<< Home