It's the kind of story that proves destiny is real, or so she told me after we nearly cried over this emotional discovery.
In the past few weekends, where my parents and I have been cleaning out our attic, we've found several containers filled to the brim with just about every piece of artwork I had ever created in my earliest years of school. Much of it not worth keeping, but I was given one last chance to sort through the piles and decide for myself.
While rifling through dozens of papers covered in paint splatters and popsicle sticks, I came across a program from my preschool graduation, back in 2004. For old times sake, I began flipping through the pages, trying to remember my old classmates and look for any names I might recognize.
As I looked over the graduates in the last class, one name caused me to gasp in disbelief. It was the name of my best friend I had become incredibly close with since our senior year of high school. I frantically reached for my phone and began to spam her with text messages and pictures. All this time, we had gone to the same preschool, at the same time, and neither of us had the slightest idea.
Nothing had ever come up in conversation. We hadn't ever been in a class together, therefore any photos taken by our parents or teachers wouldn't have given it away. It was a revelation waiting to happen; sitting right above my bedroom, mixed in with the artifacts of my youth.
Just a few days ago, I went back to organize my "keep" pile of projects into a separate bin, when I pulled out a packet from my first year of preschool. It contained questions answered by my classmates about their favorite parts of school, as well as a few portraits and candids were taken throughout the course of the year.
I had briefly looked it over when I originally found it, putting it off to the side for further examination later. This time around, I read it all, word for word.
On the very last page, there were photos of me playing with my fellow classmates, as well as a group photo taken at Christmas time, reindeer hats adorning our heads. I laughed after immediately spotting myself; mouth agape, in a floral sweater I wouldn't dare wear anything similar to today.
Looking closer, I spotted another familiar face. It couldn't be her...could it? She had the same hair, same pose, same face as she does today. However, I tend to have poor judgment, so I asked her if, indeed, my hunch was correct.
After confirmation from her parents, I found myself holding the first photo to ever be taken of us, 15 years before our friendship began.
It's funny how life finds a way of bringing certain people together when it knows the time is right. Roughly, the same situation happened with my parents. There were countless opportunities where they could have met during their teenage years through mutual family members and friends, but hadn't come face to face until later on as adults.
In the case of my best friend and I, we hadn't been brought together until the end of our high school career. I don't think I could have imagined it happening any other way.
Our friendship now has a new meaning. Something greater, even more sentimental than before. We'll have a story to tell to friends, family, and even our future children as the years go by.
Post discovery, I've never felt so connected to a friend in my entire life. This truly was a sign of many wonderful beginnings and years of friendship waiting to happen.
