Deanaland

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Love of My Life #4

When we moved to Beaumont, Texas in 1983, I met a guy named Patrick. We went to the same church, school and piano teacher. That means we were together a lot. He liked me all through 7th grade, and then I liked him all through 8th grade. We overlapped during the summer between the two grades, and that's when we "went together." We held hands at Six Flags, and that was about it. Our "going together" ended on the first day of 8th grade, when he sent a mutual friend to tell me it was over. I was sad. I remember crying into my pillow while Chicago's "Hard Habit to Break" played on the radio. Oh, how hard that was to type just now.

As we got into high school, I had gotten over it and Patrick became one of my best friends. I never had to worry about the drama that usually went along with my friendships with girls. We always sat together on youth group trips and rode together to piano competitions. When we got into college, I met a girl down the hall in Nelson Dorm who I thought was really cool. Carol and I got to be really good friends and later that year, I was on the phone with Patrick one night when he said, "So, when are you going to set me up with Carol?" So I did. And I had a feeling -- before they even went out that night -- that they would get married. I just couldn't see why they wouldn't.

I was in their wedding a couple of years later. It's pretty cool when a temporary love of your life can become the permanent love of your best friend's life. Carol is still one of my very best friends. I talk to her on the phone way too much, and we got to spend a (mostly) fun several days at their house during Hurricane Rita.

Back in 7th grade, when Patrick and I were getting to be friends, a guy came up to me at school and accused me of secretly dating Patrick. If only junior high and high school could be as exciting as passionate, clandestine relationships. But it's not. The teen years can actually be pretty awful, and it's a blessing to have good friends to make it fun and help you get through it. Patrick was one of those.

5 Comments:

  • At Thu Dec 08, 09:36:00 PM, Blogger mom23 said…

    My baptist girlfriend asked me if we in the church of christ have some kind of rule about in breading or something. She picked up on our sense of extended family that we have - its not hard to find connections to other church of christers anywhere in the south! I'm very proud of that. We stay tight.

     
  • At Fri Dec 09, 05:54:00 AM, Blogger elizabeth said…

    I didn't realize that Patrick was such a Ladies Man! Great story!

     
  • At Fri Dec 09, 06:30:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!! He makes me laugh every day (except when the Cowboys loose). He's a wonderful husband. You chose better for me than I would've for myself. You have been a great friend to both of us! As for the phone calls... I'm always willing to talk about where Kid Rock and Pamela's reationship went sour! :)Carol

     
  • At Fri Dec 09, 06:50:00 AM, Blogger SG said…

    You know Carol you really should get a blog, or at least an ID! :) I will look at Patrick with a new respect... although I knew he was "our kind of people" when he stood in line for the midnight showing of Episode 3 with us!

     
  • At Fri Dec 09, 07:41:00 AM, Blogger stuckinthe80s said…

    You know, I think that's the first time I've read the word "clandestine" in a blog. YOU ROCK!!!!

     

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