Happy Birthday Judy!

I have a very close friend whose birthday is today. She's the same age as me now, but I won't say how old that is. But every year I send her an email to wish her a Happy Birthday.

I do that because I always forget to get a card, but I still want her to know that I remembered, which isn't hard to do since it's the day after New Year's Day. I remember how we used to joke her about that, about the fact that when she turned 21 and if she was at a New Year's Eve party, she still wouldn't be able to drink legally at midnight. She never drank a lot anyway, but she still didn't like it much.

I've known Judy since the tenth grade. It wasn't long until we found out that we lived within walking distance of each other. I used to spend a lot of time down at her house. Her parents were always so nice and welcoming. She's the same way. She is one of those type of people who are always there for you and always makes time for you. We always make sure to get together whenever I go back home.

I remember my senior year of high school, we didn't exchange gifts at my house, so Judy and another friend, Kathy who I'm also still close friends with, wanted to make sure that I had a Christmas and surprised me with gifts one night at our local hangout. They weren't expensive gifts by any means, none of us had a lot of money back then, but it was the thought that counted and I was thrilled. It was also the same night my then boyfriend went to break up with me, but ended up not doing so, at least then, but I don't think of that, I always think of that night every Christmas and the fact that they went out of their way to make sure that I had a Christmas that year.

I have always felt blessed to have Judy as a friend. She is one of those types of friends that not too many people are lucky enough to have. I will always cherish our friendship because I know how lucky I am to have it.