Flashback Friday...My first BBF

B.F.F."Best Friends Forever"

I first learned the meaning of Best Friend in the 3rd grade, when a city girl moved into the house next door.
I was pretty skeptical about this city family at first, because at 8 or 9, I was pretty much heartbroken when Uncle Ralph and Aunt Iris sold their house and moved to Arkansas. Even tho I loved Uncle Ralph and Aunt Iris, my heartbreak probably had more to do with my previous best friends, Uncle Ralph's ponies, being sold off and how their absence completely changed my world.

I remember the first day that Carol Swanson was at school and when we got off the bus, she ran home to ask her mom if she could come over. It was the first of thousands of walks in between each others houses over the next several years.

The first day she was at our house, we were in the living room and I looked out the picture window to see Ruthie from across the street walking up the drive way. Now, I liked Ruthie just fine, but it didn't take long for me to imagine that 3 girls together often meant 2 against 1 and my third grade self decided that I was going to hide Carol from Ruthie, forever.
I told Carol to go stand in the kitchen and no matter what, don't come out.
Ruthie came to the door and I answered it without inviting her in. I made up some excuse about her not being able to come in and as the conversation went on, I had this strange sensation that Carol was standing behind me. The guilt, probably was getting the best of me and I said "oh forget it, you're gonna know soon enough" and I turned around to introduce Carol to Ruthie, but no one was there! I pretty much shoved Ruthie out the door and said "okay, see you later, I gotta go, bye!" and shut the door, stunned that my grand plan had worked.

Well, needless to say, Ruthie and Carol did meet and as I remember, we all got along great most days. I knew that if there were days when Ruthie and Carol were making plans without me, I would always have my trusted cousin, Kendel to be my buddy and partner in crime.

But if asked, it was CAROL who was my Best Friend and she was going to be, in a way only a child can believe, FOREVER. Carol , me and Pete, the donkey
at the Pennsylvania Cabin, 1973(why yes, I suppose I did dress myself....
I think I wore this hat about one year straight without taking it off).

I will leave all the stories for another day...(yes, she is one of the main characters in the "finger story")...but fast forward to Middle School and the realities that come from growing up. In our middle school each grade was divided into 2 parts...so kids you had known all your life, might not be in your "school" anymore. I can't remember if Carol and I were ever in the same "school" but this introduced new people to both of us and over time we spent less and less time together.
High School was the same and I am sad to say that once she left home, we didn't see each other for a very, very long time.

I saw her in the late 90's at Swanee's wake. She had just got off the plane and all there was time for was a quick hug and a few words. What I remember most is seeing those dimples and just looking at each other and smiling. It was strange to see a face from your past that pretty much only remembers you and your 6 or 7th grade self. They probably remember more about your childhood than you, because all of the rest of your life hasn't been mixed into their memory crowding out the younger years.

I got an address and a name, but over the years and many moves, I lost track of her again. I knew her married name was Freeman or was that the name of the town she lived in? I knew her sisters and Michael were in the area, but where? I knew she was in California, but had moved east. I thought of her often, especially the year Dad's new neighbor started building his house and tearing down what was left of the the old house, corn crib and shed. I would no longer be able to wander next door and take a walk down memory lane. I also thought of her a lot the year we cleaned out Mom and Dad's house. I found one walkie talkie and I knew the other one was at Carol's house. Carol's house was gone....but did she still have the walkie talkie? You know me, I turned it on and said "Hello? Carol, are you there...?" and waited. I know...I'm a dreamer.

I turned 45 and a girl who writes a blog I follow gave me the idea to do a 45 before 46 list. It is 45 things I want to do before I turn 46."Reconnect with Carol Swanson" was #11 on the list. I had no idea how, but she was on my mind....a lot.

Enter Facebook.
Every once in awhile I would search, but alas there are a lot of Carol Swansons, and I wasn't sure I had the right married name.
Then Monica, another Center School friend found me and she pointed me the way to Carol's Facebook page. Carol had just been in Lowell for a visit and Monica had seen her.

The good news is, she was planning another trip to come out for Michael's pig roast labor day weekend.
The Friday before Labor Day, Carol returned my call. I picked up the phone and a voice from my past said: "hello, who is this?" with a slight Chicago accent. I said "Oh, my God, Audrey Swanson just called me."The long and short of it is....on Labor Day I was reunited with my first BBF!It was a fantastic and it made me so happy!
Again, it was strange to sit across the table and say, "so tell me what you've been up to since you were 17 ?" And again, a little scary, cause I know I was sometimes a bossy Tom Boy who liked to scare the daylights out of that City Girl! Maybe she didn't remember me as fondly as I did her!
Carol is the same as I remember. She still has those adorable dimples, a great smile and is so easy to be around cause she is so real and genuine.

I guess when we grow up, we realize that, most likely, we won't be "Best Friends Forever," or there better yet, there may be many "Best Friends" in our life or Best Friends for a certain time frame.

What I do know for sure is that The Swanson Family was a very important part of my childhood and they all remain very close to my heart.Kimmy, Michael and Carol

And Carol, I love Carol.
She is and always will be my first BBF and one of my favorite people in the world.

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