“Megan? Megan? Megan, are you listening?”
“No.”
“Why weren’t you listening, Megan?”
“Because I was busy talking to Laura.”
A conversation nearly 25 years old, but I remember it like it was yesterday. She had long blond hair. She played with me on the playground during recess. She had a new baby brother. It was kindergarten and it was the first time I was being scolded by a teacher. But it didn’t matter–I was busy talking to my new best friend, Laura. School could wait.
The other day when I was dropping Abby off at preschool I was chatting with one of the other moms about my photoshoot that day with a five day old baby girl and that her mom and I had been friends since we were five years old. She said, “Wow–that’s something you read about in magazines but very few people are lucky enough to have.” It was then I realized just how lucky I am to have Laura in my life.
We have a whole history together that some sisters don’t even share. Her house was the first one that I ever spent the night at. And we had many, many, more slumber parties after that. And backyard camp-outs. And late night murder mystery movie making (I would love to find those videos!) when we were twelve. And trampoline jumping…for hours. And cookie baking (which was more like cookie-dough eating). And letter writing folded up into cootie catchers.
So many of my childhood memories include Laura. And even more of my teenage memories are filled with her.
She was the first person to ever take me to church and introduce me to Jesus. She taught me my first bible verse. She bunked with me at church summer camp. She encouraged me, she lived out her faith, and she knew what it meant to stand for something, even in high school when it seemed like people would fall for anything.
When I found out my dad was sick with kidney cancer Laura was one of the first people I told. She had always been so close to him and even worked with him at Aerojet (yes, Laura actually is a rocket scientist). And when she said how sorry she was when he passed away I knew she meant it because I knew what my dad meant to her.
And now Laura has a new little one and I couldn’t be more thrilled. And she knows how much I mean that because she knows what she means to me.
“Very few people are lucky enough to have that.” It’s so true.
by Megan Squires
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