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One of the wonderful things about the love of special friends is the constancy of it. I remember a sea of faces when I was the new kid going to Picayune Junior High. We were officially not children anymore and were all trying to look cool shuffling around waiting for the bell to ring on the first day.

I looked around and noticed kids faces lighting up when they saw their people. Their smiles said I belong; I may be new to this school, but I’ve got friends. Since my family had moved to town over the summer I had met a few kids at church, but really didn’t have a crowd. There was one girl I really liked, and I thought she would make a good friend. She was beautiful and had long brown hair and dark skin. Since I was pale faced and freckled I admit that if I hadn’t liked her so much I may have been a little jealous.

I searched the crowd for a glimpse of her familiar face. Then my eyes met hers, and she had the biggest smile. I think she was looking for me, too. We walked through the crowd and chatted until the bell rang, and we had to find our classes.

Funny how some things just stick in your mind, but that day I remember how happy I was. So many things have happened since those days of childhood, but our friendship has deepened and grown. We are more sisters now than friends, and tomorrow she and her mom are coming for their first visit to my new home.

It will be wonderful to see them, and I know we will have a great time. I’m not exactly sure what we will cook up to do, but the weather is so beautiful we will probably want to spend at least a little time in the great outdoors.

Usually, I have everything together with coordinating well … everything … at my house. But we are still very much in transition with half of our things still in Mississippi and comfy but very well worn garage sale furniture in much of our new house.

All the beautiful things I had purchased over the years were sold along with my lovely home, and we are remodeling before buying new furniture. In short, things in our new home are comfortable, but not beautiful. No matter, we will sit on that comfy well-worn furniture and laugh and talk and laugh some more.

We have spent so many days together making memories in our over 50 years of friendship and plan to make many more. We have shared in happy moments and stood side by side during the tough times in life. Anne’s friendship is one of the things in my life that I can always count on.

As I have traveled through life I have always been blessed to make friends along the way. Sometimes friendships don’t last when distance comes between, but thankfully, some do.

Jan Penton Miller can be reached at lilsisjan@yahoo.com.