Friday Frills

"A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad." 

Arnold H. Glasgow

Reluctantly Reunited

This weekend I attended a terribly organised high school get-together. I say 'terribly' organised, because there were no invitations sent out for the event or, if there were, most of us didn't get one. Unless that was the point...hmmm. I ended up going anyway, sans misplaced invite; where a meagre 25 out of our entire class of 150 students turned up.

I heard about the gathering from a few friends – some of which refused to attend, claiming that they “didn't want to see those people again”. I see that high school politics don't just stay in school. It can follow you through life long afterwards. Initially, I didn't plan on going, but at the last minute, curiosity got the better of me as I wondered what everyone from our class had gotten up to in the past few years. It took me ages to walk the short distance from my car to the Sporthius (sports centre). I must have stopped at least five times on the way, freezing in 5 degree weather; thinking, “Should I go? Should I turn back? I haven't seen any of these people in ages. How awkward is it going to be?"

By the time I made it there (after much debate), most of the folks were merrily punch drunk, so if any of them didn't recognize me, I'm assuming it's because they had blurry vision. I must also admit that I (in my completely sober state) could barely recognize anyone either. Who would have thought that people I'd known my whole schooling career could change so much in such a short time. The ones you'd least expect (and who used to slack off at school) have established high-powered, successful careers, and the ones I never thought would settle down are now married, with kids. Some are living their big city dreams, while others found contentment in the simplicity of small town life. No one was surprised to find out that I am still somehow 'involved' with fashion. 

It was marvelous catching up with good old friends, and even better to see that they have remained as warm and wonderful as I remembered. It was also unfortunate to see that the people who thought that they were better than everyone else back then, still do. Every high school cliché that you watch in the movies truly does exist; each person I met at the reunion is living proof of it. It's funny how certain titles stay with you for the rest of your life.



I'm actually glad that I went, it made me look back and appreciate how easy and uncomplicated things were. All we lived for were those 30 minute lunch breaks and school holidays; and the most stressful thing we ever had to encounter was the next maths exam.

All those awful Accounting lessons, Physics extra class and Shakespeare essays were almost worth it in the end. Almost. High school was just a drop in the ocean of life...we all have so many more seas to swim, paths to travel, storms to face and rays of sunshine to bask in.

The Friendship Files

Our Life Mottos



While cleaning out my storeroom, I came across a dusty box filled with all my old books from university. Among them, I found a valuable piece of paper, handwritten by my bff, Maya. It's a collection of sayings that our clique of close friends used to constantly use on campus. Each saying had a special meaning and befittingly applied to our lives at the time. Maya compiled a list of these 'little life mottos' for each of us, so that we could read through them whenever we needed some inspiration or encouragement. I'm sharing a few of these with you today, along with their significant meanings.

* Live in the moment. (For the good times pass too quickly, and the sad times linger on.)

* Always look at the bigger picture. (Often we can only see the task or problem that's in front of us, we have to remember to remove the clouds and look at the bigger picture).

* Life is a journey, not a destination. There is no wrong direction, just a longer route.

* Everything happens for a reason.

* Whatever happens, happens... (This was said after every single exam paper ;)

* Exercise caution, for the world is full of trickery.

* You have the right to be yourself. (Don't pretend to be someone else just to fit in).

* Always take things in your stride and keep smiling while doing it.

* Sometimes it's a just matter of 'the right thing, at the wrong time'.

* Beauty is only skin deep.

* Don't judge a book by it's cover. (You may never know how meaningful it's pages could be).

* Some risks are worth taking. (Like going out on a Friday night instead of studying for Saturday morning's exam).

* You can't sleep in the middle of the bed, choose a pillow. (Meaning that you shouldn't leave anyone hanging or be two-minded about important issues. Eventually you have to make a decision, whether it's right or wrong for everyone involved.)

* Don't ever compare yourself to anyone. There will always be people out there are that better or worse off than you are.

* Rainbows come after rainstorms.

* Why settle for skim milk when you can have whipped cream? (This is my favourite one - because no should settle for less than they deserve).

* There are plenty fish in the sea. (This one was used far too often).

* Sometimes, you've got to give Fate a little push. (If you really want something, don't just sit around and longingly wait for it to happen 'someday'. Get up, go out and make it happen yourself).



These mantras have gotten us through the best and worst of times. What have been some of your life mottos?

The Friendship Files

I am truly blessed to have such a large group of amazing friends from all over the country. Our bonds have remained faithful over the years and we have grown closer, stronger and wiser together. To honour them, I have created 'The Friendship Files'. I posed the same question to each of them, and they responded with their honest opinions and truthful thoughts. I collected all of the answers and posted it below. The question I asked is : "What does being a good friend mean to you?" Most of the replies were based on the general rules of friendship, with a few interesting ones in between.

What Does Being a Good Friend Mean to You? 





*A good friend is someone who you can meet after years and pick up from where you left off like it was yesterday.

*One who pulls me off the ground when the world has their feet on me.

*A good friend is someone who doesn't judge you, who's never afraid to tell you the truth and someone who you can confide in, completely knowing your secret is safe.

*A good friend will never date your ex, even if you say you're okay about it.

*Your girls should always come before anyone else - that means guys basically.

*Only a true friend will be totally honest with you...'Like girl, maybe it's time you go on a diet! Your butt does look big in that.'

*A good friend is a shoulder and ear when you need it.

*Someone who does not mislead you.

*A good friend is someone that's always there for you, good times and bad, in person, over the phone, email, BBM, whatever. That person takes the time to connect with you. And even when life gets hectic and they don't, you know that if you call or msg they will make time for you.

*Not letting your friends go out dressed like Miley Cyrus.

*Being able to tell your best friend that the guy she's dating is a real jerk.

*Someone I can trust and who dresses a little bit...normal. You should be able to tell your friend the new jersey she bought makes her look like the sequel to 'Who let the dogs out?'

*One who is always available to listen to me at my loneliest minute.

*In need of a support group? Cocktail hour with the girls - which is always, be it 3 in the morning or 11 at night.

*Having a friend honestly tell you what she thinks about your new haircut, even if it's bad. That means someone who will bravely say to you, "Are you bringing the mullet back in fashion? Now let's get that fixed before anyone else sees."

*A good friend will stretch your vision and cherish your dreams.

*A true friend can go for long periods of time without speaking to you and never question the friendship.

*The one who will always respect my decision, guide me when I move off the part and accept me for the random person that I am and never ever split on me.

*Only a true friend will help you conspire and execute an evil revengeful plan against your loser ex.

*A true friend is someone who's there for you when the good times roll and the tough times tear you apart.

*A good friend is someone whose relationship with you is not tarnished by lack of time spent together or the vast distance of physical space between you.

*A true friend doesn't care if you're broke, when your house is a mess, about your past or if your family is filled with crazies...They love you for who you are.

*A good friend is one who will lie for me but not to me.

*The three most important qualities of a good friend is honesty, dependability and empathy.

*Your best friend will knock on your door at 2am with cartons of chocolate chip ice cream, soppy movies and a box of tissues after you've had a bad break up.

*A good friend will tell you things you don't want to hear, not because they want to hurt you, but because they care.



And finally, my personal favourite:

*Being a good friend means participating in your friends' blog questionnaire by posting your inner most thoughts.



Thanks to all my BFFs for their wonderful insight.

Friends For Life

Making new friends in Small Town, SA is virtually impossible, as new and interesting people don't move here, they move out. Far out. Once you turn 18 and get your golden ticket for finishing high school, young adults leave the safety of the small town and move to the city to fulfill their dreams. Most of them don't ever return but a few do come back, loyal to the hometown that raised them. I am one of those few patriots. After four years in the Big City, I came back to the place that will always be my sanctuary. 

The hardest part about leaving the city was leaving all my friends behind. I feared that living hundreds of kilometers away from social civilization would mean that our relationships would change. They would still get together and hang out every weekend as usual, while I lived a solitary small town life. They would be there for each other at every turn and exciting milestone, while I would miss out on every delightful memory. I was afraid that their lives would all move on, without me. Their recollection of me would slowly fade away, we would lose touch over the years, have absolutely nothing in common anymore and eventually, all we would be are just random strangers. When I look back now, I realise that all my fears were unwarranted and I should've had fate in the foundation of true friendship.

As we all live in different parts of the country, I only get to see some of my best friends once every few years. Each time we meet, it's as though nothing has changed between us. We're still the same group of lively, giggly, gossipy girls; just slightly older and a little more wiser. We can spend hours filling each other in on our current lives and laugh, cry and cringe as we reminisce about the past. So much has happened in our lives during the time in between, but the bonds of sisterhood remain as strong as ever. Lives have moved on, we're up, we're down, sometimes lost, but always found again. We've experienced life, love, loss, failure, success, complications and conquests. All this may have changed who we are as individuals, but it hasn't changed who we are to each other. Caring confidantes, considerate companions, sympathetic sisters and selfless soul mates. 

Sometimes, we are lucky enough to meet a few precious people in our lives, who leave their imprints on our hearts and make an extraordinary and everlasting impression on us. These are the most special kind of friends; and even though you only get to see them every 2 years, it feels as though not a day has passed since you were apart. If you've also had the good fortune of meeting such supportive and inspiring souls; hold on to them, as friends like these are few and far between.