My old friends, my new friend

This is 17-month-old Anderson Ellis Ritter chilling in his stroller at the UAB waiting room. He looks he is shooting me a bird with a captains wafer. His mom is one of my best friends from growing up in Auburn, Courtney Ellis Ritter. I was supposed to go see the Ritters in Chapel Hill today, but it turns out Courtney, her sister, aunt and cousins are here in Birmingham because Courtney's mother, Susan, is in the hospital at UAB.

It's definitely not the happiest of occasions for a reunion as Susan is in between consciousness and no one knows what her outcome will be. However, Courtney and I have really enjoyed getting to see each other again and have some occasional dork out moments with her sister Kim just like we did 18 years back at their house on Cahaba Drive. We all went to the same church and Courtney says her first memory of me was when I was introduced to our age group's Sunday school class so that would probably take us back to 1980 or '81.

Kim and Courtney always had the cool house with the cool mom where everyone felt at home and free to speak their mind. These two girls were two of my very favorites in high school and it brings me joy to see them again and get to meet Anderson. Courtney, Andrea and I became a trio in high school starting in sophomore biology class and had a lot of fun together. When Andrea died two years ago, it was the constant phone calls from Courtney that helped me maintain my sanity and she, unlike anyone else, knew how incredible Andrea was. Court is equally incredible in a completely different way and has so much strength and iron will behind her during this stressful and emotional time. I am glad that I have been able to be some small help to her family in Birmingham since she was such a help to me during that time. I fully believe that UAB is the best place for Susan.

I have come to really understand that the best friends are the ones that are there for you during the worst of times as well as the best. I am glad we are still so much like we were at age 15 when we would spend 3 hours on the phone even though we had seen each other that same day in class. We liked so much of the same music like R.E.M., Husker Du and The Smiths. I remember thinking Kim (three years older than us) was so cool because she had Tears for Fears first album "The Hurting" -- on tape of course. I will always feel so lucky that I got to grow up in the same town with Courtney and Kim Ellis. Everything has changed in some ways, but nothing has really changed in the most important ways.