Last week I met up with a friend of mine who I haven't seen for almost seven years and it really got me thinking about true friendship and how it never really "expires." This is the story of how I met someone who I consider to be more like a sister rather than a friend, and how, even after 6 years, it felt like time never really passed.
When I was eight years old, my mom and I flew to St. Louis for a routine, bi-annual examination by my neurologist. While I was there, after examining me thoroughly, she told my mom and I about an opportunity to attend a sleep-away camp in Houston, Texas for children who have Cerebral Palsy, just like me. She also told us about a girl who was attending the camp as well, who was the same age as me, and was also from Florida. We emailed back and forth for a few weeks and before we knew it, the day we would head off to camp arrived.
As soon as we met in person for the first time, I knew that I had a not only a friend for life, but also a "sister" for life. Not only did we quickly learn that we had many of the same interests, but because our situations and the obstacles we had to deal with on a daily basis were so similar, we could relate to one another in a way that no one else could.
Needless to say, we spent the next week at camp "attached at the hip" doing everything together, from horseback riding to adaptive martial arts. As the week progressed, it became increasingly apparent that we could empathize we each other on many of the same issues. We spent hours upon hours talking and even shedding a few tears about how we wished the kids at school wouldn't be so mean and wouldn't stare at us as we walked by in the hallways. For the first time in my life, I felt as if there was someone who could truly understand everything I was going through. Obviously, that summer at camp was only the beginning of an everlasting friendship and sisterhood.
Throughout the years, our families went on vacations together, we stayed at each others houses, and when we weren't with each other we would call, text, or Skype. And our friendship, even through all of the ups and downs of life, never died. It stood, and still stands the test of time. I truly believe that we will be friends forever, no matter what happens.
I have realized, as I've matured, that while having Cerebral Palsy certainly isn't fun, and comes with plenty of obstacles to face and hurdles to jump, it can have positive outcomes as well, such as meeting my friend Jenna. Ultimately, people make choices in life, and if I had not chosen to go off to camp that summer, I would've never met my confidant, my "sister", and one of the greatest people I've ever met.
