A Friendship Precursor

1994 + two best friends + Christian behavioral standards + a day off school + the only reasonable thing to do on a boring day = A Modeling Photo Shoot

My best friend in high school was Erica Duncanson. And by best friend standards for high schools (which are ever-changing and somewhat uncertain depending on the day or time of the month), Erica was an incredible best friend because… I was a lousy one at times and yet she loved me despite my lousiness. We went to the same church but separate high schools, and we spent many many weekend nights sleeping over eachother’s houses. Her older brother was annoyed by us and her younger sister was annoying to us. She was friends with my sisters and my parents were friends with her parents. Erica and I Obsessed (with a capital O) over unattainable boys –and thank goodness the movie An American Tail preceeded us because we sang the lyrics to Somewhere Out There while leaning on the moonlit window sill of her room many-a-night (which is the only logical place to sing such a song that goes: Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight, someone’s thinking of me and lovin’ me tonight). We also shared clothing & lipstick — which now as an older, wiser me knows that a pale pink Norweign should NOT attempt to wear the same shade as her African American best friend, no matter how badly she may need some lipstick…

On a deeper level, as I mentioned before, Erica was my first friend (aside from my sisters) that showed me unconditional love. I was not always the most loyal friend when I was distracted… and when the highs & lows of boy-chasing would catch up to me, Erica was always a soft place for me to land in my angst. That may sound trite, but at the time that angst was very real and very emotional for me — and in my memories of our years together as bosom buddies, Erica was steadfast in her love and devotion to me. And now, 15 years or so later, I look back and see how Jesus-like Erica was to me in our friendship.

Loving me as I was and us sharing our lives together as teenagers, was a precursor for other relationships to follow — like marriage and motherhood and other friendships and an-ever deepening relationship with Jesus. Now all of those people — Jeff, my kids, my friends & family and Jesus now all have the call to love me despite who I am — and I have grown and am still growing in giving myself to others as I am and it is possible to be loved even when I suck at it. Thank you for being that part of my journey, Erica. And Happy Birthday today to my first real best friend!

(As a side note, do you think Tyra Banks may stumble across this blog and wonder where these 1994 Chicks are? She may inquire about our props and if they’re available for other photo opps. I’m sure the chalk board could be tracked down. My over-sized sweater is vintage, totally.)