When you move into a new neighborhood, there’s a lot of uncertainty about what’s going to transpire. Will I make any friends? What are the new kids going to be like? Will I actually fit in? Well, being the awkward turtle that I was, it wasn’t the smoothest transition to a new school but I adapted. Why? Because of a friend named John Sieg. 

We had the luxury of growing up together. From 2nd grade on we were known as best friends around our school. It was a scene. It wasn’t just our friendship that grew. Every day spent together felt like another adventure. Nothing compared though to the never-ending quest of catching frogs behind my parent’s house. It was a game that you neither won nor lost. You just played. 

We bonded over so much nonsense. Whether it was Mortal Kombat, The NY Mets, or just having a catch, we always knew how to have a good time like any childhood chums. Our parents were very close as well. There was an instant connection in the Sieg and Garis clan that couldn’t be broken.  

With time though, there was a separation. I know right? What a M Night shyamalan twist. It was not because of ill will towards each other. We just grew apart. There was always a strong connection, though, post our separation. A mutual respect for each other. In the brief times that we’ve spent over the years, we’ve developed a nostalgic bond for each other. It’s never hard to pick up where we left off and put it down again until the next time. It’s just a natural progression in life. 

John also showed the value of broadening your horizons. When we were younger he definitely had more friends than me, and post our amicable friendship distance I made a ton of new friends. And I’m forever thankful for that. 

Sometimes, though, it’s nice to think about those simpler times of us catching frogs by the pond. The funny thing is, I never really caught another frog without John. The pond also seemed to shrink in size over the years and the frogs left. In the moment, though, it seemed so uncomplicated. Yet, today it seems like the good old days.