About 14 years ago, two girls began a friendship that would last much longer than either one of them would realize, over a colored shape. In the five-year-old classroom(or the "Monkeys" room as it became known as), there sat a group of 10 five year olds, two of them had no idea they were about to meet their childhood best friend. When it came time for story time, the class rushed over to the carpet, and chose their favorite shape, but little Katie was overlooked. As she sat there, she began to cry, and laid her head down on the table. Confused, and a bit concerned, a girl named Rose walked over to her, "What's wrong?" She asked, with as much concern as a 5 year old can muster, "I didn't get the shape I wanted!" Katie cried. Rose looked over her shoulder at the two open shapes, the circle; a cherished, perfect, and precious safe haven, and the she looked to the square; it's rigid and sharp edges making it look so undesirable, set apart from the other squares of his kind, an outcast. Rose studied the shapes, and contemplated the predicament, finally, she sighed, a deep and heavy sigh, and said "You can have my circle." The light returned to Katie's eyes, and her face brightened as she said, "Really?" Rose smiled and said, "Yes, really. I'll have the circle next time." And thus, began the adventures of Katie and Rose.
As the years went slowly by, things began to change. Circles no longer were "a cherished, perfect, and precious safe haven", but rather, they were just circles. Though things changed as the girls grew older, their friendship prospered. They quickly became like two peas in a pod, two hearts with one voice, they became inseparable around the church, there was never one without the other. There is a famous quote that says, "God made us best friends, because he know our parents couldn't handle us as sisters" and that was certainly true of Katie and Rose. Whether it was playing puppies, or zookeeper, or school teacher, or dress up, or whatever else little girls like to play, they began to fight like sisters, but at the same time, they loved like best friends. As they went through the elementary school program at church, their parents tried in vain to keep them in two seperate groups, for the sake of the group leaders, but alas, by 5th grade, all the 5th grade girls had been put into one group, and their plan had been foiled. The poor 5th grade girls leader courageously took on the challenge of teaching 10 fifth grade girls, and began to strengthen all the girls love for each other, and love for the group as a whole, but none could compare to the friendship that Katie and Rose had. Years went by, friends came and went, boyfriends came and went, and even youth leaders came and went, but that didn't change Katie and Rose. They looked forward to Thursday night youth groups, when they would sprawl out in the baby pool together, or yell "THE SNOW IS FALLING", and then run away, or show off their new dance routine they had learned at CYT, they looked forward to being together, no matter WHAT they did. Highschool came, and along with it came hardship, sadness, grief, depression, heartbreak, and so much more, but the powerful twosome carried on, supporting each other, and growing progressively closer through each and every struggle. With every tear they cried together, the friendship was watered, became rooted, and prospered into a beautiful flower that could be seen by all who were truly looking. The two friends were better than best friends, they were forever friends. As time went on, and the girls went their separate ways off to college, they both clung tight to that day so long ago when a simple seed of kindness and love spurred off the wonderful, sometimes messy, but always beautiful in the end friendship that they both knew would last an eternity. They both clung tight to that simple truth that, no matter how hard life gets, no matter how miserable I am, I can always call the other, and they will understand.
If you haven't picked up by now, this is the beautiful story of me and my forever friend, Katie Van Oss. That day, a fight over a simple shape, and the generosity and caring of one girl led to the beginning of our 14 year long friendship, and I am so grateful for that day, and for everyday in between that I've been able to call Katie my forever friend. To end this post, I found a few pictures of us, starting in middle school, and ending last July at the lakehouse.
Our First Highschool Retreat!
....Like the Rockstars we are :)
We were really cute...<3
....So, what happened? ;)
I love you, my little tomato!
<3 Always,
Rose
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