Though 100+ degrees does not really feel like fall, the school buses prowling my neighborhood indicate that fall is indeed here. As a parent, I have many hopes for my children as they navigate their classrooms and school, not the least of which is that they find good friends to help them through these 13 years of transition. Good friends are esteem-builders, supporters, sounding boards and brakes for bad decisions. Even helicopter parents can't compete with the influence of good friends.
In my grade school years, I had some great friends that I keep today. Outside of my family, they are the ones still in my circle that have seen me in polyester, majorette uniforms, legwarmers and 80s hair. I saw them, too.
Missy and I played trumpet together in band starting in the 5th grade. By the time we got to middle school, we were always sitting next to each other because we were both "Ws." These coincidences would not have been enough to make a good friend, but her personality certainly was. Bubbly, always smiling, laughing, and looking for innocent mischief, Missy has always been fun to be around.
I remember times in high school when I could not wait to talk to her on the phone after school, even though we had spent the day together. When our parents passed the 10-minute phone call rule, we just took turns calling each other back until we got "No more!" She went to a different college so our frequency of conversation lagged, but the quality never did. We both pursued advanced degrees, professional careers, and both married later; our children were born the same year. Our paths were similar, but our experiences different, and it is nice to talk through it all with someone who knows your history.
So as I think about what I have to offer the world today as a coach and consultant, I surely got early practice solving the problems of the world with my friend Missy, an excellent communicator and friend extraordinaire.
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