Before I was Girl Friday, I was Trixee. Before there was a Pink Fairy, there was Skittles. In a moment of fifteen year-old silliness we were branded with these naughty, coquettish names. We haven’t been Trixee and Skittles–the pair–in a long time. In fact, we’ve spent the majority of our friendship apart. But miles, oceans, and desert terrain haven’t stopped us from being right there for one another. This weekend all the stuff in between will be traversed, and we’ll be Trixee and Skittles for three and half days! Oh the mischief we’ll get into! Instead of Pepsi fueling our rambunctious energy, it will be vodka, chocolate, and homesickness. When I say homesickness, I don’t mean that we miss home exactly, but the vast depth of meaning behind the word home.
We couldn’t believe it then, when we were scratching at the cage and aching to get out, that we’d look back and appreciate the angst and simplicity of being a teenager. Our woes are complex now, the consequences likely to impact us not just today, but twenty years down the line, like an endless ripple effect. We used to worry about pants that may or may not have made us look fat, but now our days are consumed with that exact same thought plus a million more—will I get fired for punching my boss? did I really go to college for this? after stapling so many pages, when does my stapler officially become Golden? what does the phrase making ends meet meat really mean? who am I? am I good enough? I don’t have most things figured out just yet, but I find comfort in the fact that I have all my Gal Pals to prop me back up when I’ve been knocked down on my ass.
During the chaos of our twenties and beyond, I think it’s important to remember who we were–and that even at our most awkward and ridiculous–we were loved. If we were good enough then, then we must realize that we are good enough now. So…question everything you can and never settle for substitutes, but also never doubt that you are exactly where you are supposed to be at any given moment.