day 9

Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.

I think I'm going to go with my childhood best friend, Jayme (Sheldon) Harkins.

She and I were inseperable growing up. Even though she was two years older than me, we were the best of friends.

I remember the first time we met. I was in first grade, and she was in third grade. A whole bunch of neighborhood kids were playing in our cul-de-sac and Jayme wanted to play pretend "witches." I didn't want to. So I thought she was stupid. We ended up playing it anyway. And I don't really know how it happened, but she was my best friend ever.

I loved going to her house. She taught me lots of great things. She taught me how to play chess (most of my siblings don't know how to play), she taught me how to make popcorn on the stove, how to make ramen. We played pretend life together, watched movies, played barbies, legos, pretended to be famous singers, made up gymnastic routines on the trampoline, had sleep overs (one time she even punched me in the mouth and i lost a tooth the next day), we painted, did crafts with my mom, explored the desert, she was there when i broke my arm, we played with her bird, we walked to school, did EVERYTHING together. I owe a lot of my favorite personality traits to her.

The day I found out I was moving to Utah was sad. I didn't want to leave Jayme. I remember crying my eyes out on the 12 hour drive up to Lehi. I was so depressed. We wrote, called each other, and even sent each other tapes in the mail. I sent her pictures of my new friends, told her everything about crushes, she did the same. She even came out to visit twice.

I guess we just drifted because life made it happen. We would have been best friends still.

She got married a few years back. I got the invite and it was during the first week of school my sophomore year of college. I wanted to go so badly but my mom thought I'd better go to school. That is one of my biggest regrets. I wish I could have gone.

Jayme, if you ever read this, I hope you know what a big impact you had on my childhood and my life. You were the greatest best friend a girl could ask for. I'm glad we still talk a little bit on facebook. I wish were still close. You're fantastic.