ode to Allison

My friend and loyal Reader of Blog, Allison, is getting married on Saturday. Allison is my oldest friend. So I thought it fitting that I write a post in honor of Allison, who is a tremendously fun gal to be around, one of the kindest people I know, one of the few great listeners left on this planet, and is about to tie the knot with a handsome young chap named Ryan! We're all making the trek back to the Heimatland, Fort Wayne, Indiana, to send these two off into married life with a bang. But let's go back a little bit....

Allison and I met at church during early elementary school days, and we bonded over a shared love of singing. When we were eight or nine, we began singing duets together in church services, many of which were captured and immortalized on home video (wow, what was I thinking with the permed bangs?). As we got older and began attending the same school, we became closer friends and ran in the same circles. We moved beyond singing at church and started singing in school talent shows and in show choir (also immortalized in home videos -- seriously, if you want to waste several days of your life, I could sit you down and show you the progression of Emily: the performer in great detail). Some of my greatest memories of high school include riding around town in Allison's Geo Prism, singing Abba at the top of our lungs, then heading to Bob Evan's, or "Bob's" as we called it, to sit for several hours, only ordering a cup of coffee and irritating the wait staff.

After high school, we went our seperate ways, but stayed connected. I visited Allison and our other two best friends, Brooke and Stasi, at Purdue on a regular basis, since the party scene was way more fun than at DePauw. Allison introduced me to my first serious boyfriend (which would later end disastrously, of absolutely no fault of hers). And we always had the summers and school breaks in Fort Wayne, all of us feeling a bit cramped and ready to get back to school and away from the parental rule. Although somtimes it had been months since we'd seen each other, it always seemed like no time at all with Allison. We would catch up and dish about our relationships and our dreams and what was bothering us. I could always, and still can, tell her exactly what's on my mind and expect honesty and kindness in return.

Luckily for us, we both ended up in Chicago, where we continue to build adult lives. Yes, we've had our share of falling outs and fights, but like any good friendship, it has stood the test of time and come to be a comforting presence in both of our lives. When you've known a person since you were eight, though every stage of life, there is a bond that is unlike other friendships. When you've been through as much as we have, you know that that person will be in your life forever.

So this weekend, I will be standing up for Allison, and singing two beautiful songs during the prelude of her ceremony. She's found a really special guy who is going to take care of her and love her forever (and keep her in stitches---he's hilarious!). It's comforting to know that as we both move into "adult life" (blech), there will always be this great reminder of my youth and a friendship that has lasted nearly twenty years. And who knows, maybe our daughters will sing duets together someday.