Jamie turns 50!

This week my childhood friend, Jamie, turned 50. I have lots of friends who are fifty and above. What made this one different is that I have known her my whole life. It really made me realize that I will be 51 this month. Fifty was no big deal to me, but Jamie turning 50 kind of shook me.

Jamie was the friend that I had most of the childhood experiences with: going on vacation to Gatlinburg and Florida; going to cheerleading camp (just the two of us) and being the smallest squad there; experiencing cooking in her mom's kitchen when she was at work. One time we almost set the grass on fire at the school during a cheerleading fundraiser. We were frying hamburgers under a funeral home tent using an electric skillet. It was plugged into numerous light weight extension cords. That skillet melted the cord like it was butter. Needless to say, we didn't get many burgers sold that day. We won't even talk about our Opryland advertures.

Jamie was the friend that stood at the end of my bed just after I had given birth to Leah, almost 30 years ago, and cried. She said I looked awful. That was the first and only time I have seen her cry.

We don't see each very often now, almost never. But one thing remains: If she ever needs me, I will be there.