Lizzy’s Latest – My Favorite Girl

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If you’ve been following my blog on a regular basis, you know about my Forever BFF, Tammy, and my East Coast BFF, Packy.  Well, there is one other girl who completes my trifecta of besties.  She was a girl I used to know who remains close to my heart.  She was my Eternal BFF, Shari.  The first time we met was serendipitous and from that moment on, we became the best of friends.  We got into so much mischief together (as kids do!), but always gave the appearance of being perfect angels.  😉  When we lost touch many years ago, I never forgot Shari, even searching for her over the years to no avail.  Her impact on my life was immense and I often reminisced about our adventures and prayed that she was healthy and happy.

In January, I received a Facebook request from a “Shari.”  The tiny profile pic looked like my Shari, but was it really her?!  Curious and hopeful, I approved the Facebook request. 

Shari responded:  “OMG.  It’s me Elizabeth.  I’ve been looking for you for so long and got discouraged because of people claiming to be you, but always failed when I asked them to answer one question only my Elizabeth knows.  Ready?  Where did we meet?” 

I had tears in my eyes when I read that message.  She was indeed my Shari!  Memories came flooding back to the day we met.  I was at a New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) concert (read about how I got tickets here).  My seats were decent, but I wanted to be closer.  So, I decided to see how close to the stage I could get.  Surprisingly, I managed to get really close to the stage and once there I was unsure what to do next fearing security would usher me away at any moment.  That’s when a gorgeous blonde girl in the front row realized my dilemma and motioned me to come forward.  When I did, she promptly scooted over to make room for me. I couldn’t believe it!  I thanked her for her kindness and we quickly introduced ourselves.  Shari’s altruism filled my heart with joy as we danced and sang with our boys.  I knew, in that moment, I had met my best friend! 

I quickly responded the correct answer and waited patiently for her reply.

Shari wrote back:  “Hey, my favorite girl, I’m ecstatic I found you…our adventures come up often and I laugh and cry because I miss you so much.  Finding you is my most precious gift this year…can’t wait to catch up and come see you.”    

My favorite girl was back!  I could feel the sincerity in her words and it touched my heart.  Shari is beautiful, humble, strong, vulnerable, loyal, comical, and fiercely protective of her family and friends.  That has not changed and she is a true blessing in my life.  😉     

We’ve been in frequent contact catching up, sharing pictures, and indulging in nostalgia.  Shari is happily married to Eddie and has two beautiful kids, Alex and Riley.  We were supposed to meet this week, but this pandemic has caused us to delay our much anticipated reunion.  Grrr!!! 

The best kind of messages between us are the ones that begin with, “remember when…”  That always makes me smile. She told me her kids know all about our hijinks and perhaps thought I didn’t really exist…until now.  😊

Our story is not over.  It never was.  It was only delayed.  There are new chapters to come and I look forward to sharing them with you here on the blog.  I am just so happy my Eternal BFF is back and we’ll be hangin’ tough until we meet again! 😉

The following are some fun throwback pics:

Prom pic! Dad was a budding photographer back in the day. 🙂 We took this and the next shot before meeting our dates, Chad and Lee.

This is one of my favorite pics of me and Shari.

I was having trouble putting on Chad’s boutonniere! Shari came to our rescue!

Here’s a group pic: I was with Chad, Shari was with Lee, and Chris was with Monica. Coincidentally, Chad and Lee are best friends. If Lee looks familiar, it’s because he was featured in my Mardi Gras post from last year. Check it out here.

This is Shari’s favorite pic of us back in the day. She was ALWAYS protecting me! Hahaha!

Have a wonderful and safe weekend.  Though, if you’re like me, every day feels like Groundhog day.  If isolation is draining you, why not reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while?  This is a great time to reconnect and/or mend fences.  It will lift your spirits and cleanse your soul.  It is a wonderful feeling!  😊   

Lizzy’s Latest for this week is the Lucky Brand Margalina sandals.  My review of these espadrilles will post sometime next week or the week after.  For now, enjoy the pictures.    

Style with a Smile!

XoXo,

Lizzy