Flash from the Past

So I had one of those country song moments where you meet someone in your past and feel proud of your future kinda thing. Only we were just friends.

A little history lesson:
I went to school with this girl since 2nd grade. And I swear, most of the time we were in competition with everything. We did become really good friends for a couple of years in middle school, but we still had about the same ambitions. Something happened in 8th grade, I'm foggy on the details now, but long story short she hated me. With a passion.

Jump forward to high school. We made up freshmen year, friends again for most of high school but were in different groups. My school of 100 wasn't really big enough to justify calling them cliques. Anywho, we still kinda kept going for the same scholastic goals. Some she got, some I did. After graduation the girls went on a little trip. I was only there for one of the 4 or 5 days everyone else was. And apparently after I left she got upset over something and left early. All of us were deleted off facebook and no one really heard of her again.

....until last weekend. I saw her at a local ice cream shop. I contemplated on talking to her for a bit, then Zoey got loose and ran off. She naturally cut in front of her and her parents, so a conversation was inevitable. Turns out she is leaving in a couple weeks to get her PhD. Holy cow, I just got my bachelors! Talk about a downer.

But then, I realized there was no ring on her finger. No child calling her mom. And I realized that I am the lucky one. My education is just as important to me as it is to her, our goals are just different. for once. I would not trade my family for any degree in the world. They are my pride and joy now. They are what is important.

Sure, it would be awsome to be called Dr. Alicia. But, honestly, I am Dr. mom, chef mommy, mama nurse.... and I am totally ok with that.