Friendship

Today is my friend Karen's wedding anniversary. She and her husband Chris have been married 20 years! I am so happy for them but it totally blows my mind that they are married 20 years. Not because I didn't think their marriage would last, it's because I can't believe 20 years have passed since that beautiful wedding day, seems like yesterday. I was her maid of honor, an honor for me! And more, I can't believe how many years Karen and I have known each other, we met as teenagers when we both worked at Burger King.

I sent her a text this morning and she wrote me back agreeing that it's mind blowing 20 years have passed. She also said she's old and I wrote back a big fat NO!

Karen and I have been through so much together. She's a part of my family and I'm a part of hers. We worked together at Burger King and also at RKO. We had an apartment together for a few years, summer houses "down the Jersey Shore", vacations, so much.

Friendship. My sister Linda worked at the Post Office with Kathy and then I met Kathy. Kathy started hanging out with me and Karen and all our friends and then Kathy met her husband through one of those friends. Then Kathy noticed Karen and Chris "noticing" each other on a ski trip at Hunter Mountain, and brought them together! See what friendships can do.

I'm blessed with many friends and though some I don't get to see anymore or even talk on the phone with that often, we do share a piece of time together and "you can't take that away from me".

Some pictures of me and Karen from our teens to our 50s. The old fashioned picture is Karen, my sister Linda and me. We were at the Staten Island Mall shopping and stopped to take this picture. Sharing time together. And I'll say it again, take a picture, there's always so much behind it when you look at it years later, even if it's not a perfect shot!



This picture of Karen and I sitting on a curb in front of a house was taken on our first trip to California. We both worked at RKO at the time and we had a Los Angeles Office and were in contact with employees there all the time. One of the girls that worked there took Karen and I on a real Hollywood tour. She was dating a cop and really knew where the stars lived. I was in my glory that day! Now this curb we're sitting on is in front of either Lucille Ball or James Stewart's house, they were neighbors. Knowing me, it's more likely that it's Lucy's.



This current picture is Karen and I at her parent's 50th wedding anniversary party. I have shared so many special occasions with my friend Karen and her family. Her kids call me Aunt Tricia and again, though we don't get to see each other as often, or even have time to yap on the phone, Karen is always in my heart, she's family.



And I think it's appropriate to add the clip of Lucy and Ethel singing "Friendship". Remember the episode, they end up wearing the same dress for the talent show and ripping each other apart when they sing the song. That's friendship. You can fight, but you forgive and forget. Our friendships grow, we grow.

Friendship!