The Meeting

When my husband and I moved to Menifee, CA back in 2010, I was 6 months pregnant. We had just purchased our new home and were preparing for the birth of our second child. The very first person I met in our new town was Christina Ranes. She and her husband kindly invited my little family over for dinner. We quickly bonded over a shared love of music and horses; Christina having the musical talent and horses and myself just loving both, to be exact.

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The Friendship

Between 2010 and 2015, my friendship with Christina developed into a very strong bond and I can honestly say that I consider her a sister. My oldest daughter and her second-to-youngest daughter are also friends, which makes our friendship even richer. Christina and I shared with each other the births of our youngest children, daily routines, dealing with kids and school and all that comes with them, and complicated social interactions with others in our community. Together, we navigated the obstacles of raising young families, learned and grew intellectually and spiritually, and ultimately just loved the heck out of each other.

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The Move

When it came time for my family and I to move once again in 2015, leaving Christina behind was devastating to me. I relied on her. She made me laugh, taught me so much, and helped me in countless ways. Moving away from her and her family, as well as a few other families whom I had grown close to, was one of the hardest things I had ever done.

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Grateful

Gratefully, Christina and I have maintained our friendship over the 5 years or so since I moved away from CA. No, we don’t talk to or see each other every day. We’ve each had our own fair share of milestones that we have met separately. We’ve navigated the ups and downs of parenting without the constant support, input, or guidance from the other. BUT, every time we are able to connect again, we pick right up where we left off as if we had each been there for the other all along. That, in my opinion, is the mark of a true friendship.

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The Promise

While I am still sad that I don’t have my best friend in my life on a daily basis, I know without a shadow of a doubt that she has my back. She gets me, she accepts me for who I am and where I am at. She loves me and supports me from afar, and I, the same for her. Life is crazy, and messy, and unpredictable. But one thing I know for sure is that I will always love my friend, Christina, and she will always love me, no matter how far apart we live.

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