Amanda

If you’re lucky enough to find a friend early on that remains close all of your life, then count it all joy! It’s rare and it’s precious. I have been so lucky and I will not cease praising God for it. This poem was indeed inspired by my best friend, and yes, her real name is Amanda. She and I have been best friends for 30 years. It seems crazy that it’s been that long. When I moved to my new school, I did not immediately become best friends with anyone. The school was so small you were just friends with everyone really. I talked to Amanda but it wasn’t until we began playing softball together that we really struck up a strong bond. She and I were with one another everyday. We loved watching the Braves and even saw them play in Houston together. Looking back on it now, it’s really rather odd that we even found ourselves friends. Amanda was the quiet, soft spoken, well behaved, rule follower and I was… well, not those things. She truly kept me grounded. We could share anything with one another without fear of judgement. We enjoyed one another’s company and we made each other laugh. Soon, her family was mine and mine was hers. She made things easy and peaceful and quiet for me. This poem is inspired by the way I often miss those days. Now that we are grown with our own families and living farther apart, I long for those days of simple acceptance that I found with her. She is a true gem and a gift from God.