Friendbridges

(This was one of two entries I wrote for the NCRA's Young Author Project)

Friendbridges

I am a bridge builder. I don’t use lumber and nails and hammers and drills. I don’t fashion my bridges from metal, wood, concrete, or steel. I build bridges between people – they’re called friendships, (though perhaps they should be called friendbridges instead. . . .) The best friendbridge I’ve ever built began over 30 years ago. I was in fourth grade, and met a girl named Rachel. I don’t remember our first words or how the friendbridge began exactly. What I do know is that pretty soon we were sharing everything – string games (“Show me again how to do Jacob’s Ladder. . .), French fries, popsicles (Those were the days of the doubles and we’d each break ours in half and have half grape/half orange.),and favorite books (at the time, dog books, horse books and Nancy Drew books). Once, our teacher even caught us sharing a lollipop (although she discouraged that). It was a good year for friendbridges.
Fifth and sixth grade saw us separated into different classes, but by seventh grade we were together again: sharing pizza, crushes on boys, and school projects. She was my best friend when I had mono, when my baby sister was born. Eighth grade we shared the responsibility of putting up the flag every morning, giggles and class conversations that sometimes got us into trouble. Friendbridges grow by sharing.
High school brought more incredible experiences and memories; getting drivers’ licenses, proms, football games. We were very different – I was a trumpeter in the band; she was on the annual staff. I was wide open, with wild abandon; she was cautious, soft-spoken and shy. Yet, we still found things to share. Participation in drama club brought us memories that would last a lifetime – including a week-long trip to New York City, where we even shared getting lost. (I wonder if that mounted policeman still talks about those two southern girls who were trying to find “Forty-eighth and eighth”. . . .) There was boy trouble and family trouble. There were rocky times in our lives and in our friendship, but we discovered that friendbridges grow stronger by weathering adversity.
Now, Rachel and I are “all grown-up”. We are still incredibly different. I am colorful and eccentric, chunky and loud. Rachel is thin, still soft-spoken, and very normal. I am a teacher --she is a mom. I’ve lived in three states and love to travel – Rachel loves to stay home. Every time I’m with her, I learn something new about her. She has taught me so much about learning to see beauty in simplicity, using strength that comes from deep within, the joy of giving and the grace in receiving, and so much more. We live five hours from each other, so now our sharing is often done via email and cell phones, although we visit in person at least twice a year. After thirty-plus years together, we have learned that friendbridges grow longer and stronger with time.