It was a warm summer night, and I was a senior in high school. The Pink Bandits and I packed into a red Pontiac Sunfire armed with toilet paper and shaving cream. Coordinated in Abercrombie jean skirts and pink bandanas, we donned the perfect conspicuous camouflage. Our surprise attack would target the 4-Life Crew ~ the guys. They were swimming that evening and would have no defense against our stealth and ammunition. The plan was to meet at the gas station to discuss strategy, and then we would strike.

It is possible that we discussed strategy for a little longer than expected, because before we knew it, a police officer was knocking at the car window. “We received a call from the gas station that you all have been loitering,” the officer said. “I’m going to need all of your driver’s licenses.”

Needless to say, there was a small kink in our plan for that evening. Although our toilet paper and shaving cream barrage would have to wait, we laughed ourselves to tears about The Night of the Pink Bandits, especially after our names showed up in the police blotter.

My girlfriends and I have been through it all together. From boyfriends and breakups to weddings and babies, the stories and hilarity could entertain for years to come. In fact, a few of my friends have even considered writing a joint memoir about bad boyfriends. The pending title is Nightmare on Elm, if that gives you any insight. And through it all, our friendship has remained tried and true.

As working professionals, mothers, and wives, life has made coordinating schedules more difficult than it used to be. No longer are we able to run to our closets, find matching mini-skirts, and meet at the mall in a flash. At this time in our lives, if we are able to arrange a meeting on short notice, we are more likely to arrive with matching mom-buns and coffee cups.

For this reason, my friends and I make concerted efforts to arrange wine nights, birthday brunches, and a Christmas gift exchange every December. Our gatherings are casual, but filled our favorite things, reminiscences, laughter, and friendship. Even if several weeks pass before we are able to synchronize our schedules, once we are finally together, it is as if time has stood still. Though home base is now friend’s house instead of a gas station, our meetings seem to conclude the same way they did back in high school ~ in side-splitting laughter. We may have retired our bandanas and mini-skirts, but our army is still standing.

Hence, whether it has been ten weeks or ten years since you last planned a get-together with your friends, understand that your friendships are armored. Wardrobe changes, distance, and the passing of time cannot combat the memories and love that you share with each other.

~Think on These Things~

Natalie

“Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends.” ~H. Jackson Brown Jr.