When We Were Young... [day seventeen]

      Childhood.... When I think about childhood, I think about elementary school... and middle school. What I wouldn't give to go back to those days. I didn't realize how good I had it and how much easier life was then. Several people come to mind... One of my first best friends was Sarah. Aside from family, I think Sarah was the first friend I spent the night with. Her brother was probably my first crush too! I also think about my teacher, Mrs. Shirley, that unfortunately ended up passing away. Then, there's Melissa. We were in orchestra together and she was one of my closest friends in middle school. There's also Sabrina, I used to spend a lot of time at her house too. I have a lot of people that stick out in my mind and have impacted me in one way or another.
      We all have awkward times in elementary and middle school... Kids are mean. Always have been and always will be. I got picked on for various things, we all did. Either my clothes weren't name brand, or my hair was too short or I didn't do what the popular kids wanted me to... My friends came and went for all different kinds of reasons. But... there's a couple people that stick out right now...

Dear Jennifer,
       Birds and bees, Dr. Pepper cans, Six Flags, riding our bikes, The Church, Frenchie... the list goes on and on. We have so many memories together that I hope I never forget. We may not have always done the right thing, but at least we did it together! You have always found your way back into my life and when you do, you're there for me. The older we get, the closer we are. There was only one occasion that I can think of that I was really upset with you, but at least you had the balls to be honest. I'm very thankful that I have a friend like you. We've gone through times of not talking, for whatever reason, but every time we bump back into each other, it's like we pick up where we left off. I hope that this time we stay in touch and if you have to move, it'll break my heart. I love you girl!

Dear Sarah,
        A lot of my elementary school memories involve you. It was so long ago.... definitely makes me feel old when I think about it! Now that we're back in touch, we don't talk as often as we should. Thank you for being that true friend when we were younger. You have always been such a sweetheart. Now, you have a beautiful family. Who knew that this is where would end up in life? I am planning on coming to Nashville in a couple weeks, maybe I can swing by and see you! Let's work more on keeping in touch...

All the assholes that thought you were better than me,
       Screw you. I think it's hilarious that I've seen half your faces on mugshots. It's amazing how most of you grew up to be absolutely nothing. It makes me laugh. I may not have my feet planted firmly, but I'm working on it. I thought about listing all your names, but I'll save that for later.

Everyone else,
       Hold on to your youth as long as you can... Keep your dreams vivid and your goals reachable. Don't let heartache destroy you because you'll soon realize they weren't worth it anyway. Stay healthy and focused and you'll be just fine. Oh, and don't do drugs. They're bad for you... trust me, I know.