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.