Down, Down Baby: Remembering When

There's something magical that happens when you are 10 years old, chasing butterflies, skipping stones, riding little pink bicycles with streamers and white baskets on the handle bars with a big yellow sunflower on the front. Roller skating down the street that looks like it would swallow you whole, and revisit that same street as an adult and think as you smile to yourself, "what was all the fuss about?" Remembering when- The wind flowed through your tangled hair, because when you were 10 you weren't worried if the boys seen you with a "bad hair day!" Remembering hop scotch, and jumping rope. Playing jacks, and sipping cokes. Reminded of honeysuckle scented vines, picking a few and licking the honey right then and there. Not a care in the world. Me and my best friend singing as loudly as we could "Down, down baby, down by the roller coaster. Sweet, sweet baby, I'll never let you go." Clapping our hands in perfect timing with the other, like a well oiled machine. Never missing a beat. Going faster and faster until our little hands and arms were worn out. Climbing that big tree in her mom's back yard. We both climbed to the tree top, with her mom yelling out the door, not realizing we were about 50 feet in the air. We would giggle and she would tell us to come down, and we did. Even thought we didn't want to. She must have been horrified knowing we were that high in the tree. (We were 6 at that time) Some of the most fun times I had as a child were with her. We even fought over who was going to be Shaun Cassidy's girlfriend. She always won, because I always seemed to give in, and take the other guy, just to keep peace. Even though I was sad she didn't want to share with me. (I honestly didn't care, I just secretly wanted to like him with her as if we were one soul, one heart. BFF's forever) Because- We did everything together. Then we grew up. Lost touch. Regained it. Had children. Lost it again. Found it once more. Now here we meet again, instead of 10, we are 38, nearing the 40 mark. I still love her today, as I did in 1974. When we first met in kindergarten. I've spent my lifetime thus far with her in it somewhere, either in my heart or on my mind. We can still make each other laugh hysterically. Remembering when, yet making new memories today. Now there's just something magical about that.