My Forever Sister

thirteen years ago
we first fought
over Crayola markers in the Jewish nursery school
and danced in the Purim shpiel.
today we are sitting in your basement,
watching an Eddie Murphy movie and giggling like children,
fake laughing at each others bad jokes and eating
eggless cookie dough
with our fingers
and I can’t help but think that as much as things change and go away, some things stay the same.

and I could count the years we’ve been friends
on my fingers (and toes) but I couldn’t count
the reasons why I love you
or the number of smiles we’ve shared,
or the memories we have of days
and nights when we had amazing adventures
or just sat at one of our houses talking or
laughing at inside jokes or even crying,
whatever it is, you’ve stood by me.

city days spent browsing vintage stores
and drinking free water from Starbucks,
and summer camp nights giggling in our cots
side by side, talking about boys and girls
and bodily functions
constantly reminiscing, saying “remember when?…”
we were little, and we got into trouble
“#devilchildrensince’02”

and your mom talks to us when I’m at your place,
sometimes just to say hello but sometimes we all chat
about school, and life and whatever,
and your dad taught us how to use our cameras
on a sunny afternoon in the city and
now we have photoshoots and make silly poses or
take pictures of autumn leaves while blasting
Ed Sheeran and I cannot tell you
how grateful I am
for these tangible tokens
of your friendship with me

and in a flurry of homework and
university fairs and open houses, you’re
on the edge of seventeen and life has never
passed us by so quickly. i can remember when
your mom would pick me up from daycare and
now i’m taking the bus from my school to yours
every couple of weeks and we are talking about
tuition and fears and “sexcapades” and
if it weren’t for you i think i’d be terrified
so promise me that i’ll be okay. that you’ll be okay.
that we’ll be okay, together. that this golden age
won’t end, that we’ll still be best friends when we are
old (but never lonely)

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because you’re my person,
and when we’re together it feels like
we’re (hella) indestructible,
like Fred and George (except nobody dies)
like Monica and Rachel (without the nice apartment and interesting love lives)
that we’ll stick together always like
Naomi & Ruth (wherever you will go, I will go)
you’re my person in that
you have one of the holiest hearts I’ve ever known, and
i can trust you like a sister
and you understand my jokes
and you know my limits
and I know yours
and we’re weirdly similar
matching up nature and nurture
sisters from different misters

so let’s sit
and have a coffee with latte art
or just a glass of water (that I’ll probably make you get for me)
and be silent together

my soul sister, forever.

 

Image from Flickr.