Felicia

So this week I wrote a great blog about my best friend from high school. I got to the part where I was proofreading and I accidentally deleted it. The whole thing and no I did not save it while I was writing it. I was really mad and frustrated and did not sign back onto this blog until today. I showed ......well, I am not sure who I showed but I did calm down. Now, I absolutely believe in writing about really cool women and Felicia deserves her turn so I am going to try again.
Feicia was my best friend from about junior high until I graduated from high school. She is probably one of the nicest people I have ever known. We spent tons of time together. I am not sure why our parents let us but we spent the night over at each others houses a lot. When she got her license, she would drive in the opposite direction of the school to pick me up. We had one really odd thing..we always ate weird breakfasts. It was either leftovers from dinner....I vividly remember her mom shocked to find us eating spaghetti and meatballs one morning or we would stop at the B&C and get chips and cokes. Well, she got bbq chips and mountian dew and I got chili cheese fritos and diet coke. For breakfast, many, many mornings.
Our friendship had somewhat of a spiritual component. Her family often took me to church with them. Again, driving out of their way to include me, paying for probably many meals after church, and always making me feel a part of their family. I went to church with my family too but Felicia's church had bible studies and special worship services. My home church was rich in tradition and intelligence but hers was more relevant, practical, and welcoming. I was never pressured, always included.
Fe, her nickname in high school, never spoke a cross word to me, ever. I don't think I ever spoke one to her. She was just sweet. Not sicky, fakey sweet. Just really grounded on good morals. I don't think we ever did anything bad together. No breaking rules, no cigarettes, no drinking. We weren't really risk taking kind of people. The riskiest thing we ever did was not wear sunscreen the first day of band camp. She is a fairskinned blonde and we had to sleep (at her house) with ice packs and fans blowing on our very burnt skin.
I don't remember when but at some point her parents divorced. We spent even more time together and hung out with her mom a lot. Her mom worked so hard back then.
My favorite picture of us is from high school graduation night. After high school we kind of drifted apart. I went away to school and at some point her mom remarried and Fe moved away to California. We lost touch for many years.
I had mentioned once to another really awesome friend (cindi-who deserves her own post too) that I wanted to find a friend. Cindi worked all day and into a night before she called me to tell me she had found Felicia and had just gotten off the phone with Felicia's husband. Of course we reconnected. We both had little ones not too far apart in age. We stil exchange an occasional letter or Christmas card. And would you believe she is still one of the kindest, caring people I've known....She is a great advocate and parent to her kids. She is still a kind and sweet person and I am better for having the honor of being her friend.