As My Best Friend Turns 30…

Rachel Hawkins - 12 Apr 16

They say best friends are the sisters that destiny forgot to give you. This sentiment couldn’t be truer when it comes to my best friend.

Circa 8 years ago we nicknamed ourselves ‘The Twins’ referring to one another as Twin or Twinner, purely because we were beginning to finish each other’s sentences, whilst systematically knowing what the other one was thinking the majority of the time.

I first met my best friend in secondary school and while we were the other side of the year to each other (we weren’t in any classes together) we became friends during the last year. By the time we were 16 we were working part time together and spending the majority of our free time with one another.  Usually, sat up the local Wetherspoons, people watching and having our breakfast, lunch and tea up there!  No idea how we made the small amount of money we had stretch so far back then.

Talking of money, the little bit of cash we did have usually paid for a top from Parc Avenue, a packet of fags and a bottle of sparkling water for me (didn’t used to drink back then) not forgetting entry into our local nightclub; Chasers on a Friday night.

The summer of 2003 is one I will always remember fondly.

We literally have grown up together, from teenagers leaving school through to now, both Mum’s of 2 toddler boys that were born exactly 3 months apart.

I remember the day she passed her driving test (good old Louis the Lupo getting us from A to B), practically shitting our pants the time we decided to take a drive to a well-known local haunted hot spot at the dead of night.

I remember the day she sent me a picture of her positive pregnancy test wishing “Auntie Rach” a Happy New Year and I remember the day she became a Mum, waking up to the news she had given birth to a beautiful little boy. Words can’t describe the pride I felt that day.

It’s hard to pinpoint the best moments of our 14 year friendship, there are many too count.

Our sense of humour is exactly the same; random, silly, at times sarcastic and sometimes just downright stupid. Often we talk so quickly that only each of us can understand what the other is saying.  But we know what we’re on about and that’s all that matters.

We’ve had some fantastic trips away together during our twenties. Our ill-fated trip to Global Gathering festival back in 2009 that ended up with us having to come home early because we’d hit it too hard on the first day.  We couldn’t bear a second longer in our 1 person cow tent.  I get a shudder every time I think of it!

Twins on Tour in Essex, shortly after the TOWIE phenomenon began was one of the best weekends of my life. Even if I did book us into a modern day Fawlty Towers right in the middle of Ilford high street.

And more recently, heading north to Birmingham to watch the amazing Adele. Too much prosecco, wine and cocktails meant we woke up the following morning in something of a haze.  But looking through our photos and videos soon reminded us of the hilarious time we’d had.

She calls me the Rainman, due to my ability to remember the date of any past event. She’ll often text me to ask me the date of such and such, something I can give her with ease.  Never failing to surprise her with my brilliant and quite frankly weird long term memory.

I can, without ever a shadow of doubt, call on my best friend whenever I need her. I’ll be forever in her debt for her coming round to my house early one morning, son in tow, to take me to the hospital for an appointment when Wes was too hungover from Cheltenham Races to accompany me.  She didn’t even hesitate to offer.  Something which meant the world to me at a time in my life that was rather difficult.

She knows when I’m on form and she knows when I’m struggling; perhaps with my anxiety or other issues. Never putting pressure on me and just letting me know that she’s there for me, no matter what.

So, today, on her 30^th Birthday I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to my Twin, my sister from another Mister for being the best friend a girl could ever wish for.

Thank you for always being there for me, thank you for making me laugh so hard sometimes, I think I might need to buy a Tena lady (that may need to happen now we’re getting older mind!).  You really are my partner in crime.

I hope your thirties will be everything you wish for and more. I can’t wait to see what fun we get up to in our fourth decade but just know that I’ll always be there, right by your side.  No matter what.

The two of us over the years.  She’s a beaut mind ain’t she?!

Rachel Hawkins

Almost 30 year old (eeeek) Mother to one from Bristol. Writing about whatever takes my fancy, mainly due to the fact 140 characters on Twitter and a Facebook status just isn't enough! Passionate about mental health awareness.

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