Forever Friends

Forever: [fawr-ev-er, fer-]
–adverb
1. without ever ending; eternally: to last forever.
2. continually; incessantly; always: He's forever complaining.
–noun
3. an endless or seemingly endless period of time: It took them forever to make up their minds.
—Idiom
4. forever and a day, eternally; always: They pledged to love each other forever and a day.
Origin:
1660–70; orig. phrase for ever

Friend: [frend]
–noun
1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter: friends of the Boston Symphony.
3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile: Who goes there? Friend or foe?
4. a member of the same nation, party, etc.
5. (initial capital letter) a member of the Religious Society of Friends; a Quaker.
–verb (used with object)
6. Rare. to befriend.
—Idiom
7. make friends with, to enter into friendly relations with; become a friend to.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME friend, frend, OE frēond friend, lover, relative (c. OS friund, OHG friunt (G Freund), Goth frijōnds), orig. prp. of frēogan, c. Goth frijōn to love


Not that long ago, one of my besties, who has literally been my friend, forever summed up the relationship her daughter and my daughter have.
"They'll be forever friends," she said. "Not necessarily 100% best friends, but life will have a way of keeping these girls together and they'll be forever friends."
And since she shorthanded it so well, I've begun to realize how true that statement is. Take for example, these three chickadees:
Fate brought them together over 26 years ago, when their daddies became forever friends.

And even though last week's trip to the west coast was only the second time the lil' dude met her little lady friends L. and M., their lives are entwined and will be forever.
And ever.

Friendship is beautiful like that; I have an internal audio track of memories from our trip listening to three separate, yet very cohesive peals of laughter mixing together. How three little girls, only eight months apart, and 3,000 miles apart, fit so well together. How they shared toys and rituals and mischief and cereal bowls and daddies without sadness, drama, jealousy, or coercion. How my heart swelled up with Mama-love and pride for my tiny daughter and her bigger, tiny gal-pals.

And as L. and M.'s mama talked about the future of these friends, when they are to the age where spending Saturday nights in their pj's with their parents sounds awful, and how they'll want to go out together, I could picture it easy. Longer legs, teethier smiles, bigger conversations sure, but the same tiny girls they once were.

Because they are forever friends.