Reunion

I just returned this morning from a weekend spent with the craziest, weirdest, dorkiest *dearest* young ladies in the world, and I miss them already. I know that's completely cliche, but I have missed them so much, even in spite of our frequent skype dates together every few weeks. Something about being with friends in person is just irreplaceable, because technology can do just about everything these days except bring about the physical presence of someone (apparition is something only possible through wizarding world magic--sad day). I hadn't seen most of these girls since over a year ago when we graduated, and we all haven't been together since we were living in our little apartment (plus Sarah! Can't forget Sarah! Hi Sarah!) together on the WM campus.

It's weird how despite how much time passes, when the five of us come back together, it's like we were never apart. I still verbally (and sometimes physically) abuse the four of them; they all retaliate and gang up on me in return. Steph and Jessica still obsess about weddings and international politics (yeah, I know); Sarah still (wisely) takes charge of any operation (like making cookies) because the rest of us left alone are bound for trouble; and Cathy still can't manage to keep her poor baby eyes open past 12AM.

Being with them all again makes me realize two things:

1. I miss William and Mary. I never really thought I would; I mean, I knew I'd always be nostalgic about some things about it, but I guess I had never "missed" it in the sense that you miss home or you miss family. But I miss these girls, and the memories of all the time spent with these girls, and the experience of being with friends so dear who know you so well and whom you trust with all your heart. I had never realized it before, but W&M symbolizes all of that to me. It's all those small, seemingly insignificant moments spent with these girls that I remember most, and that I miss the most. As vastly different lives as we are all leading now, W&M was and is the one thing we all still share between us. It's our

2. Time changes people, and yet, somehow, when you see them again, you realize that as afraid as you were that time has affected your friendships, those relationships still stay the same. Sarah, Cathy, Steph, Jessica, and I are all very different girls from the ones who put on those graduation robes a year ago. We've learned new things, explored new places, experienced new classes and jobs, and met lots of new people (and friends! and boyfriends--AHEM, Sarah.) But we still relate to one another as we always have. Because we still care about each other as we did all through school; that hasn't changed. This is really reassuring for me, because I admit that I was worried. Not worried that Cathy had somehow turned into an axe-murderer, or that Steph had learned to stick up for herself (would make my job a lot harder and a lot less fun), but that we would all have moved on, in a way, and we wouldn't be close friends anymore. I've worried a lot that my friends, in going new places and building new relationships, wouldn't need little marjorie around anymore to tease them and make trouble. But as it turns out, they're not the only ones that are different. I didn't really notice until Steph commented on my music in the car, and Cathy saw the red leather jacket in the back seat, but I've changed, too. The Margaret Ann of undergrad would never have owned a leather jacket in her life, and especially not a red one. Even so, I'm still the same friend I've always been (a rather nosy, silly, annoying one :P ), and so are Steph, Cathy, Sarah, and Jess.

Miss you girls already.