The Pink Full Moon in April is on Wednesday

I have a wonderful friend and we've been friends since we were 12 years old. She lives on the other side of the country and leads a very busy life, like me. We used to talk only every few months and the call would last for hours to catch up. I don’t think either one of us liked having the long gaps of time in between so what we do these days is try to catch each other during the times that we are in the car….or we leave each other multiple voice mails. See, I am old fashioned that way—no texting. I like hearing friends’ voices and stories—the longer the better.

The other day on the way to work I was lamenting over some fast and furious period cramps. I was thinking, “I will have to tell L how this perimenopause really sucks. First I will go three months without a cycle and then it comes on full blast and catches me unaware and having to dash to CVS at lunchtime like I am a new teenager or something.”

And then I thought something that happened in 8th grade—I bet L does not remember this. Our 8th grade history class (such a cool school: 7th grade history was one year full of ancient Greek history; 8th grade was all about the Middle Ages; 9th grade was all about the Renaissance) was just about over and we were sitting in metal chairs in a semi-circle next to each other and I sneezed. Big sneeze. WTH? It suddenly occurred to me that I got my period for the first time a month or so prior and here it was a month or so later and was clueless about being prepared. And with that sneeze…it started. We wore uniform skirts, rather short, and I was actually sitting on the metal seat. I looked at L, who had been on this path of new womanly circumstances earlier than me and she knew I needed help. She got out a sheet of notebook paper and as soon as I stood up, she nonchalantly placed that sheet of paper on my chair.

And I shook my head as I realized that 35 years later I am still sharing my cycle woes with her, sheesh, some things never change. But something more occurred to me. These past couple years I have joined her on the path of perimenopause and there is no one better who understands and shares her experience and knowledge.

So this month when I think of the Pink Full Moon, besides thinking of the flowers blossoming everywhere, I am thinking of pink as the symbol of female friendship. Happy Birthday, L! I still can’t get over how I saw you on a couple of occasions out and about while at different elementary schools—once on Catalina Island and once at a fair, before actually meeting you at our new school in 7th grade. I’m so glad we are still sharing this path of friendship so many years later.

Tell me if you are still friends with a childhood friend and when did you meet?