Karie found this letter I wrote to her for our Velda Rose Youth Group Bible Study Senior “Goodbye” package…at least that’s what I’m calling it. I don’t have a letter from her and I could be nice and say she had a lot going on due to just having a baby and all but truth is probably more along the lines of she just didn’t do it due to procrastination…which she herself confessed to being the reason. It’s so “Karie” that I don’t have a note…in all of my yearbook comments…all 6 years of them… she would write stuff like “This year sucked & I didn’t think we’d still be friends but we are…or I’m glad we’re still friends… or KIT this summer.” You know something totally insane and impersonal. Haha…there may be one comment that actually sounds like it was coming from my best friend but she really wasn’t great at stuff like that.
She thinks she’s not good at putting things down on paper but I think she’s wrong about that. She just doesn’t trust herself and is too critical about herself & her writing. She’s perfectly articulate and can say some damn beautiful things or has some great words of wisdom when she’s leaving a comment or we’re chatting in IM or something. I just think she freezes when she thinks someone is going to actually be paying attention to what she says, though I didn’t start this entry to analyze Karie's writing skills.
I was writing to document a beautiful letter I wrote my very best friend 13 years ago…hee!...I know I’m far too modest. Though names and events have been added over the last 13 years the core of what was written so long ago remains. Karie is still my best friend and we still have each other to lean on and to call in times of need. We’ve supported each other through everything life has passed our way and at the end of the day we are still stronger for it. The only thing I was completely wrong about was my boyfreind at the time, Brian Burgunder...
May 1996
Karie Rae,
Well, we've known each other since the fifth grade. We had our own little click, our own little world. Music, soap operas, and Gabe Cordeiro kept us amused. Fifth grade was filled with laughter, music games and gossip. Due to a very nervous girl and the two 0' clock soap opera, General Hospital, we became best friends and those were the happiest and simple school years I have ever known.
Then, there was um ... seventh grade (yes, we're just going to skip sixth grade). Seventh grade was filled with new adventures, friends and boys (Brigham West). A tight bond began. Four or five classes together and we were hooked. From there on out we were" THE KARRIE'S."
Eighth grade flew by. Mrs. Perry's choirs class and the mall were our favorites. Church and boys became our new hobbies (especially, Mark Holtzman and Nick Cassaday).
We struggled through ninth grade. We still had Mrs. Perry and the mall but "Newsies" and boys helped and hurt our relationship. The Karries became Karie, Kerri and Sarah. (We'll just skip your little depressed streak). We had Brian Burgunder and Ryan Harmsen, and the best thing ever ... Cassaday's Cabin.
Which will bring us to HIGH SCHOOL.
A new school, new guys and new um ... new problems.
Tenth grade was, to say the least, unforgettable. We had our old fifth grade gang back, plus one, Sarah. Of course we weren't the same but we had something. We broke away from always liking the same boys to arguing over "whose" was better. "Your" Royce Johnson or "my" Rod Holmes. We had some of the best times and some of the worst times. We'll just skip the worst to save time. We had "nonchalant" walks passed a certain guys house. Sarah-with her flopping, me- with my kackeling and you- with your big mouth. We started "dating", yeah that's what we'll call it. We had our first school dance. I, with my Prince Charming and you with um ... Eskimo Man Ryan. Maybe it wasn't exactly what we had in mind but it was fun and a good start. Just before we became totally bored with the mall we meet our new inspirations. No not more money to spend. Every visit to the mall brought our future um ... Dream Boats. Yes, oh, yes OUR own Jeremy Ray Summers and Brian Joseph Burgunder. Which leads us into another unforgettable year.
Eleventh grade brought more new experiences. Some of our group left but the best of us stayed. We had break ups and make ups, between both ourselves and our boyfriends. Dance and French were our stronghold.
Now, for the best. Our Senior year. We barely made it but we have come out better than ever before. One of the biggest rollercoasters, any kind of dip, bump and fall that could come our way did. I flew through three guys, while you struggled with one. Luckily, we both made it with both each other and our guys.
We have made it through a lot in the past eight years. We have shared everything together. Our first date, kiss, make out session and sexual experiences. Not literally but figuratively. We've seen friends come and go, either to death or stupidity. We have made it through two or three depressions (not like the Great on in the 1930's), two weddings of friends, dozens of breakups from Brian and Jeremy, one pregnancy and the cancellation of "My So Called Life." I wouldn't have made it out as good as I have if hadn't had you as my best friend. You are the best and I know we will experience and share more joys and sorrows in the future. No matter how far we stray from each other we somehow always make it back to each other.
Even though it is now only the Karries again, we have more together than we have ever had with the group or our once threesome. As we go on to college, get married and become mothers we will always have someone to call when everything is too hard to handle alone. With each other and the people who love us we can make it through anything.
Love always!!
Kerri Lee
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