There's something about chatting with an old friend that's good for the soul. I recently had a soul-mending weekend with my best friend of 17 years while on a camping trip with her and her three kids. My daughter and I set out for Vernon Wednesday night, camping gear piled high, eagerly anticipating the next four days of sun, fun and laughter with Auntie Jamie and the cousins, Felicity, Caely and Brandon. I figure 17 years of friendship makes you an honorary auntie which was easy for my three-year-old to accept, but a little harder for Jamie's seven and six year old girls. Her two-year-old son was happy to call me "Auntie Criddy" and soon we were all playing together making nests in trees and piling dirt for the toy trucks to roll over.
It was a fabulous and crazy time of hysterical laughter over the silliest things, finding shelter during freak tsunami-type storms, and a plethora of firsts for the little ones.
But it was also eye-opening and emotionally draining at times. I knew camping with one child would be stressful, never mind four. Jamie gave me many lessons in patience as I marveled at her tone, calm and reassuring, during fights over who gets to play with the coveted toy or how "unfair" something was.
My daughter picked up the "that's not fair" line by the end of the weekend and I learned little sneaky ways to appease all sides, while still keeping control.
The time playing and entertaining the kids was great, but by far my favourite part of the trip was the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. fireside chats with my friend.
There's a fabulous feeling of safety when talking to a person who possibly knows you better than yourself and still loves you despite it.
Jamie and I have been though boyfriends and breakups together. Through puberty and rebellion. Through times of desperation and struggle. Through the "it's all about me" phase to the "it's all about them" realization. Through love and loss, much laughter and many tears. We've weathered the storms of life together and hunkered down when the winds blew, only to love and laugh and live again in the sunshine of a new day.
Jamie gets me, and she might be the only one. That's why after 16 hour days chasing after children, wiping noses, mending bloody knees and comforting distraught tots we would punch out our time cards, stoke the fire, pour a warm drink and talk for hours. About our problems with men, patterns we've learned in childhood and are trying to break, religion versus God, the end of the world, and everything in-between.
We talked and talked until the embers burned dim and then, realizing there was only four or five hours until the next shift began, we'd reluctantly retire.
Every day I looked forward to those fireside chats and to what new revelation would come to me.
Jamie helps me to be a better person and doesn't hold grudges against the person I've been, which is rare and such a treasure to me.
We didn't solve the world's problems around that fire pit but we examined ourselves and our motives in this life, which will help us to influence the world in more positive ways.
If you have a friend like mine schedule some time with them soon. Your life will be better because of it.
