Meet my bridal entourage. A 6 part series.

Part 5:

Colleen (Bridesmaid)

Colleen and I met in middle school and have been friends ever since.

I was never into sports. Running? Sweating? No thank you.

However Colleen (and Audra) both were. They were on our middle school basketball team- along with a few other good friends of ours at the time. I was always jealous of them, because they got to stay after school for practice and travel to far away cities like Jupiter, FL on the big yellow cheese wagon for away games. (Sounded glamorous to me back then I guess.)

I so desperately wanted to be a part of that team and spend more time with my buds. (But certainly not bad enough to try out for the team- common people!) Instead I asked the coach to “make up a position for me.”

To my surprise he did!

My job was to watch the players, analyze their shots and then brief the coach between quarters. It was a total gimmick. I knew it and the coach knew it. But hey- it meant more time with Colleen and my friends!

One of the things I love most about Colleen is that she is very family orientated. She seriously has the biggest family-EVER! She is one of eight (or nine?) children. Half of them are married with children of their own and I’m almost certain someone is pregnant at all times.  :) What I love most about their family is that they still get together for family dinners on Sunday. I used to beg Colleen to take me to one of their dinners- just so I could experience it! I pictured it being like a scene right out of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” or something. Tons of food, fun & family.  I believe that being a part of such a large family has shaped Colleen into the patient, kind and understanding individual that she is today.

When I come home to visit Vero- there are a handful of people that are always on my ‘must see’ list.

Colleen is one of them.

I love spending time with her. She’s the perfect mix of classy and my kind of crazy!!

Colleen lived one development over from my first apartment and we spent the good portion of 2 or 3 years spending every weekend together. Man did we have some crazy fun times with the pictures to prove it!

I remember having a very honest conversation with Colleen before I moved to Orlando. We acknowledged the obvious, which was the day-to-day life as we knew it together…would be changing. Not living in the same town makes it hard to spend every weekend together or watch Grey’s Anatomy on Sunday nights or call/text each other every other day to talk about the latest happenings. We both knew this would no longer be the case.  

But we also both knew that was ok.

Moving away from my friends made me realize that you don’t have to talk to each other every day in order to still hold the “friends card.” In fact, I have learned it’s just the opposite. True friends can go long periods of time without talking- and when they do reconnect- pickup exactly where they left off last, as if no time has passed at all.

I am thankful for having Colleen in my life. She has been… and continues to be a very special friend to me. I wish her nothing but the best things that life has to offer.

Any maybe- just mayyybe- if I keep asking, I will finally make it to one of those famous Cavanaugh Sunday Dinners!