I seem to have friends sneaking up on me from all sides! Within the past two weeks I have heard from a number of old long lost friends.

The first was Tammy from high school and although I bounced from clique to clique while in school, she was my one steady friend who somehow lingered as my friend through it all. She lived in my neighborhood so we would walk home together our Freshman year and we both had very challenging home lives. I distinctly remember there were many days my freshman year when we’d walk home together but I’d drag my feet…I dreaded going home, afraid of what I might find (I’ll spare you the details - just know there were many different f**ked up states in which I would find my mother after school). Tammy didn’t want to go to her home either for the same reason. So, whenever we’d both get up the courage to expose the other our vulnerable problems at our homes, we’d sometimes take turns bringing one another to each others’ houses. That’s what I remember most about Tammy - she was always there for me during that difficult time. Well, I remember that and the fact that we’d write notes to each other all day almost every day for most of our high school career. I have a big giant envelope will most of those notes tucked away in my closet upstairs. Someday maybe I’ll scan them into the computer and send them to her for fun.

Anyway, Tammy found me on classmates.com and we’ve been catching up via email. She lives in Oregon, has a 7 year old son and has been married for 10 years to a man who’s name is Peter (we have the same!). She works in a hospice care center, which I think is absolutely perfect for her…she’s such a kind and gentle soul, I bet she’s amazing at helping families and patients with the passing of their dear family members. I only wish Tammy lived closer so we could go have a coffee together. Maybe some day.

The other person I heard from is known to me as Big P. I used to work with him and Rasmenia and for a time they were dating each other. The three of us would have lunch together almost every day and hung out almost every weekend, usually with too much Guiness involved. He has a crazy sense of humor and what I remember most about him (besides his passion for “angry punk”) is he had the tendency to make me laugh so hard I’d cry on a regular basis! He’s one of those dudes who is cracking jokes so much, you never really know when to (or if you even should) take him seriously.

Two weeks ago I found an email in my Inbox from Big P and what struck me about it was that he didn’t address the email in any way like, “Dear Abbey,” or “Hey you…” Instead, he just started typing away as if we were picking up in the middle of a conversation that we forgot to finish 4 years ago! About three sentences in, Big P says: “I go to this other blog where this chick is describing going to her mother’s funeral. That’s some surreal shit, and I’m reading these posts, no longer out of boredom but because the story is fascinating and the author has apparently been through a lot of shit. And then I get to a post where there is an obituary printed and lists the survivors being Abbey and Pete Keller and I’m like ‘I know this chick!‘” So here’s the weird thing: Big P is now living in Oregon, too! I wonder if he knows Tammy?! LOL

A third blast from the past came from a surprise phone call from the lovely Turtleheart last night. She called to congratulate me on getting my nose pierced! The thing is, she is the one who, without even knowing it, inspired me to get it done with this recent post of hers about new bling for her nose. She’s always inspiring me left and right. We met through a message board on WitchVox a few years ago and lo and behold, we happen to have an awful lot in common! For example, we share the same wedding anniversary on Flag Day. She’s been married much longer than I have but still, the same date. I’ve often looked up to her as a sort of mentor in my pagan pursuits, although I don’t think she’s entirely comfortable with the position so I try not to hover on her too much! But, more often than not, I find myself reading posts on her blog that end up inspiring me to read a new book, begin a new ritual, buy a new tarot deck, etc. When I have questions about our shared religious path, I usually email her with a zillion questions and she always takes the time to gently point me in the right direction to find my own answers. Turtleheart and I parted ways about two years ago because of some people she was hanging out with at the time. As it turns out, she is no longer friends with those people so now I hope she and I can strengthen our friendship without their negative influence.

In the past year, I’ve also heard from another dear high school friend, formed friendships with at least one of Pete’s cousins, strengthened the friendship I had with dad’s ex-girlfriend and met a group of young adult cancer fighters like me! For someone who has always had trouble maintaining friendships with people, I think all of these encounters are blessings. It’s like the universe is giving me another chance to remember what’s important in life and how to be a better friend in it.