Way back when, in elementary school, Katie and I were friends - sort of. I have this memory of going to her house for one of her pool parties when we were kids...I don't really remember who else was there, but I have a clear memory of being shoved off of her diving board by whoever was behind me in line and falling off and scraping my back really bad. I think it was a diving board lined with a bunch of tiny stones, and I'm pretty sure a bunch of them embedded themselves into my back. Now, for whatever reason, I don't have much of a memory of being friends with Katie after that until High School...I think I've blocked her out of my mind to protect my sanity! I may need counseling to recall those in between times...
But in high school - at some point - Katie and I became friends again, and this time we were best friends! Most of my rebellious moments of my younger days happened with my best friend Katie - the drinking and smoking, the 'shrooms (dad, did you know about me doing that??), the boys, the parties. Now, maybe this makes her sound like a bad friend, but it was quite the opposite. I knew I was safe with Katie. She looked out for me - I looked out for her.
I wish I could find pictures of this story - I know I have them somewhere...It was our junior or senior year, I forget, when KISS 108 (the radio station) was having their annual concert and Katie and I were sure we were going to be there! We were supposed to make a sign and hang it up outside our house and then Randy, the DJ, would come to our house, check out our sweet sign and give us tickets to the concert. Well, we took this VERY seriously. We used a sheet and worked for hours and hours using paints (which stained my kitchen floor) and bumper stickers to decorate this sign. We really did it up! We hung that masterpiece from my second story windows, and it filled up almost the entire front of the house. We sat on the hood Katie's car, playing only KISS 108 music of course, and waited and waited and waited for so many hours for Randy to show up...and, well, he never did. So much for the concert - but we had a great time making that poster! I would have given us tickets if I was Randy the DJ! His loss!
I went to college in the same town I went to high school in, so I saw plenty of Katie my freshman year. The summer after that I really screwed things up with Katie. I got into a car accident that summer which gave me a different outlook on life - I realized that I was just screwing up my life and not taking it seriously. I was calling myself a Christian, but had no concept of what that meant. I was quite the hypocrite. So, when I 'turned my life around' that summer, I totally left Katie in the dust. I became this panicky Christian...I stopped drinking altogether (which was fine, as I was underage anyway), broke up with my boyfriend at the time and stopped talking to any of my high school friends because I thought they would think I was a big dork for really being a Christian now. I turned my back on my best friend.
For a long time things were really weird between the two of us. I didn't know what to talk about when we did talk or what to do when we did actually get together. I felt like she tested me a lot, and I deserved it! Things went on really weird like that for a number of years. I forgot how to be her friend, and I hated that! I thought about that and about her a lot!
One of my very favorite things about Katie is that she never gave up on me. She came to my volleyball games in college, she was there when I got married, she was there right after I gave birth to Caleb, and she came to see me in Philly after I had Johnny. (see pictures below) She was a faithful friend even when I was a big, hypocritical screw-up.
I want to say right here and right now to Katie, because I never said it very well...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way that I treated you, and for forgetting how to be your friend. I'm sorry if you ever felt like I judged you, or looked down on you - I never did. I have ALWAYS loved you and appreciated you and the friend that you have been to me. Thank you for not giving up on me.
Katie just got married last month in Boston and Jon and I were so excited to be able to make the drive to be there with her and for her. It was amazing for me to watch my beautiful friend walk down the aisle, with a huge smile on her face, towards the man that she loves. It is awesome to see her so happy. Below are a few pictures of she and I on her wedding day - in a photo booth, which was an awesome idea!!
Well, Katie, I love you and I'm incredibly happy for you. I'm also happy to still be your friend all these years later, even after all I put you through. NOW, let's see some pictures of your sweet shirts! ;)
4 comments:
Ang, thanks so much. I went through a very similar experience during my Jesus Freak days with a very good friend. Unfortumately, she is NOT a computer person and I don't have any contact with her. We broke contact. Although I made it to her wedding the first time she got married, I was not there for her when her 6 year old died from a brain tumor. I was not there for her when she divorced her husband. I heard, after the fact, of her second marriage and divorce. She's a wonderful person and I wish I could say the same things you said to Katie to my friend Karen. It just breaks my heart.
Hmmmm WOW!!! I thought your blog was just going to be about how ridiculously hot I am and how you really wish you could trade places with me, even if just for a day. =)
I promise you Mr. Scott ... it was not all my doing ... I was just a happy participant in the fabulous world of high school antics.
I love how you found the photos of me and your boys when they were babies, hard to believe how small they once were and how young I once was (now and old married lady, haha).
Ang you know I love you very very much (why else would I still be here years later, haha). I value our conversation more than you'll ever know. I'm happy that you realized the error of your ways (I wasn't perfect either you know, close to it, but not perfect =)
Love the blog. Bringing the shirts to the Cape this weekend ... photos to follow!!
Can't wait to see and meet Lily Kathryn (that's what you're going with right?!?!?!?).
KT
Oh and I have and will post those photos from the Kiss Concert ... and we ended up driving to the cape that day afterwards so I could pierce my tongue with you id, haha.
That was so sweet Ang. You are a great friend. :)
What an honest look at your heart. Thanks for sharing it. Katie is lucky to have known you, and from the sounds of it, you her.
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