How do I start covering the important people who shaped me besides my family?
Nostalgic memories littered with crazy fun I had running with her in her backyard or mine
Enjoying my first playdates and daydreams of crushes with her
She was a ballerina, the first best friend I made.
We met in kindergarten, but she became homeschooled after that year
Yet, our friendship grew stronger despite her missed presence at school
She taught me to share friendships with others and show kindness when I felt angry.
She gave me my first taste of girlhood and childhood.
Her mother made the best chocolate brownies, standard at each playdate at her house.
Each time her mom baked them, we would commence our silly spy game to check their status.
Pretending not to catch us, her mom wouldn’t comment on the rush of giggles and two tiny kids crawling fast back to her room from the kitchen.
We prepped fake food in the play kitchen for my mom and tried clothes on in her mom’s closet pretending to be grown-ups.
Time passed and I entered 4th grade where I came from a different elementary school compared to the two schools that most came from.
It was a fresh start, but a lonely one. I was placed at square one whereas others were already comfortable in their friend groups.
A kind girl with dirty blonde hair didn’t hesitate to play with me during device day once.
It was there that we bonded over Minecraft.
She never judged and lent me confidence over the insecurities I began to have.
Her laugh was endearing and we shared stories of our families growing our friendship further.
She was a dear friend and remained one no matter the frequency of our contact.
I became more familiar with the other kids and had more acquaintances, so the transition to middle school was easy and comfortable.
A new girl in 6th grade
She was smart and didn’t hesitate to raise her hand in class
Sharing the same cultural background and hobbies, I wanted to be her friend.
Our main connector was band class
Playing the same instrument and being stand partners, we exchanged jokes and endless conversations.
7th grade, Covid had hit and we fell out a little bit.
8th grade, my half-virtual and half-in-person year we met again.
It’s like we picked up right where we left off
I regretted the year of friendship I had missed out on with her
She was a creative and free soul
A classical dancer, artist, musician, and academic weapon
I was proud to be her friend and her ambition pushed me to pursue more.
In 9th grade, we continued to create ever-lasting memories and became a trio with another special friend we had both made.
She moved the year after but continued to flourish into a wonderful person.
Though, still in 8th grade, I befriended a peculiar girl I had always seen around since 4th grade but never got the chance to be friends with.
I admired her sense of style and was curious about her personality
It seemed like the odd nature of the last half of eighth-grade year being in person brought me to the meaningful people I couldn’t miss out on having a deep friendship with.
She was a wild card and a personality I had never met before.
It was exhilarating, terrifying, and fun to be friends with her
As a tight-knit friend to this day, she exposed me to things I would never have seen if she wasn’t my friend.
Her nonchalance, crazy art skills, funny and deadpan personality took me on a rollercoaster
I confided personal things to her I had never said to anyone before.
Despite her flippant and endearing craziness, she created a comfortable space for us.
Our friendship was a match between an overthinking talker and a composed (jokingly I would reference her demeanor to the meme “no thoughts, head empty”) listener.
Nearing the end of a significant era of my life, the countless connections and people I’ve met amazes me.
The younger me who always wanted to build a close-knit group of friends feels completely satisfied.
She feels like the small orb of yellow warmth of empathy and friendship has grown its vines into the most magnanimous and magnificent garden of vulnerability and deep relationships.
