Grateful for Julia

There's something very special about a friendship that stands the test of time, moreso when there's been a large gap of nothing-ness inbetween. And by large gap, I mean 10-years.

I've known Julia since I started High School in 1995. We weren't friends until the following year, but as soon as we became friends and I got to know her, I knew that we had the same values. I didn't completely understand our connection at the time, but as I have grown and as we have grown, I have come to appreciate the bond that we shared all those years ago.

Towards the end of Year 10, I changed schools, as did she. And being 'back in the day' where mobile phones were not readily available like they are today, our friendship also changed. It didn't take long for our friendship to fade away and before I knew it I was in my mid-20's, but I still thought of her often.

Every now and then I'd look her up on Facebook, wondering if she had 'cottoned-on' to the fad and when I couldn't find her name I would think that perhaps she's married and I'd stress that I would never find her. Then one day, out of the blue she was there.

I added her.
And the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

She had literally JUST moved back to Adelaide after living overseas.
She was planning/trying for a baby.
She was planning a wedding.

All of these life-changing moments in her life and I got in just before them. Before finding her would have been near impossible.

Our friendship has taken off as if no time had passed. We're older, we're married, we're mothers and like those days when we were 13/14, we have so much in common, and we still have those same values.

Today we met for coffee with our babies (both boys, who are about 4-months apart). Every time we catch up it's a laugh. It's talking about the babies, talking about 'those days' back at school, or talking about anything that is happening in our life at that very moment. From someone watching us, we're typical girls chatting over coffee. But today was just that little bit different.

Julia gave me a hand-written note. And I was shocked. I cried (just a little).
I put it casually in my bag, without reading it, because I knew that reading it would make me really cry.
And I just can't do that in public.

I wanted to read it while at home, in a quiet moment where if I wanted to cry, I could. And I did.

It was beautiful.

It brought back so many of the great memories I had from when we were at school. We used to write notes/letters to each other often and back then they were about nothing, they were about trivial things that seem so unimportant now. Now they mean something, because let's face it... who writes letters anymore?!

I'm grateful for Julia. For not just the letter, but for not changing who she is after all these years.

I'm grateful that as the years continue, our boys will grow together.
I'm grateful for the support, encouragement and SUCH kind words.
Strong words with meaning, and value.

I'm grateful that we have been able to pick everything up from where it was left. That even though all these years have passed, there's still something. And that something is special.