Your first impression of a person always kind of defines the nature of your relationship with a person. When I first met Coleman he was writing a $10,000,000 check to himself in the sand (that was over 9 years ago and I will remember it forever). Now, if that doesn't tell you he was a quirky ambitious kid I don't know what does. In our young friendship we were anything but normal. We filmed TV shows, complete with guest callers (his bro Jackson played Joe from Idaho whose potatoes grew wings and flew away) and a special guest (a giant stuffed Pooh Bear voiced by my brother). A castle built closely to the specifications in Bridge to Terebithia was erected in his backyard, and of course I was the queen and he the king. When they made a short move onto the Navy base we turned all the unpacked boxes into a fort in the new backyard which we then deconstructed and used the boxes as a vehicle to roll the younger brothers down hills. Then there was my favorite game played by the four of us: Protect the Package. I, being the only girl, was being hunted by evil spies (usually my brother) and it was their job to patrol around me and keep me out of danger. 
Some of my favorite child hood memories come from the times that I spent with Coleman. We were pretty daring and he brought out a side of me that none of my other friends seemed to be able to reach. After he moved to Mississippi and I to Japan all in the same summer I cried myself to sleep for weeks, there was no one around here like C. We've only seen each other a handful of times since that fateful move, but every time is just as exciting as the last. We're still the same old crazy kids that we've always been (give us a camera, some wood, or some boxes and we'll still be able to come up with some insane creation) and that will never change. The fact that I have friends all over the country is never something that I will grow tired of, whenever I have a hankering to visit Alabama or Texas I know that I'll always have a friend (Coleman) to call when I arrive! Love ya C!
xoxo,
Abby the Gator
I'm actually sobbing. I can't believe you would devote an entire blog post to me. It's so touching and perfect. Just like you. That's such an old picture - totally appropriate to characterize our friendship older than many others and built to last. I will be at your graduation. Whether it's parents and J or just me, I will be there because you mean so much to me and always will!!!!
ReplyDelete