#2 "Prissy" My Ya-Ya Sister, Laura

You would think that "prissy" is something you would call someone you don't like....but in my case... in this case ........it is quite the contrary, "prissy" in my mind should be short for "princess" and nothing less.  She was the cutest girl I had ever seen........ she lived in the big house across the street...........she was my first best friend,  "PRISSY."

It had been around 39 or 40 years since I had actually seen her..  but I would recognize her anywhere...........she had the same face, the same smile the same heart that I loved so long ago.



I have .... memories...... of playing make believe, running barefoot through the yard,  playing fetch with my German Shephard, going to birthday parties together and coloring in coloring books with our dolls propped up beside us. These are just a few of the times I remember so vividly.  I am sure we got in mischief together.......although I don't remember any of those specifics. :)

Prissy recalled a story from her childhood and told it to me when we reunited last year........she remembers getting a spanking from her parents........ because she told everyone in the neighborhood that her "Mom & Dad were getting a divorce."  Prissy didn't know what a "divorce" was but she knew she wanted her parents to have one.  I had told her on one of my visits from VA, that my parents were getting one of those.   Prissy knew that this had to be a good thing because when this happened you could "live at the beach and go fishing on a yacht".........just like the one I showed her on my step fathers business card.  She says that she still has this card tucked away somewhere with that Charter Boat picture on it.  She imagined my life being "charmed" and wanted to share in the "adventure" and I longed to be living hers.


I wonder if I hadn't moved if I would have had more memories of the same or if through the years we would have grown apart like I see so many do?  I would like to think that  she and I would have been there for each other have too through thick and thin. . I would be willing to bet if we had been allowed to grow up together we would have been just like the characters in the DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA YA SISTERHOOD. ****which is set in a small parish of Louisiana and the Theme Song "details in the fabric" (again ironically) is sung by Jason Mraz (one of my faves from VA).  Our  friendship at such an early age taught me what it was like to have a true friend, and thru the years ......we loved each other unconditionally even if from afar, we laughed and learned together without judgement but rather with wonder and charm.

Our lives have been parallel in some ways and opposites in others but we ended up with much the same personality and mannerisms.  We met again in December 2009 thanks to Facebook and the fact that she was visiting her youngest son who currently lives in the same town as my daughter in Virgina!

We both love New Orleans and have both lived there, we both have had roller coaster lives and we are now both Grandparents of an autistic child.  We both believe in Karma and  both grab life by the horns and ride as hard as we can.............

It was one of the best Christmas presents I ever had in 2009..........seeing my first BFF again after all of these years.  When we said good-bye ....Prissy's words couldn't have been sweeter or more needed at the moment..... "I have always loved you" echoed in my heart and my mind all the way home............this is where I got the idea......the notion ........the standard...... that  I  still set and tried to hold my friendships to (some successfully and others not so much) through the years.


We are all grown up now and some people refer to you as "Laura" which is a lovely grown up name...... but to me you will always be my ......"Prissy" the princess that lived across the street in the big house on the hill.