>Blogging BFFs: The Next Generation

>Back in 2007, I went to my first BlogHer conference, and that’s when I met Yvonne for the first time in person.

I had read her blog, of course, and I was thrilled to learn that Yvonne was in person exactly the way she was on her blog— infectiously funny, warm, caring, and totally fun.

We quickly became friends and we’ve spent the last three years seeing each other at blog conferences twice a year and talking on the phone, texting, e-mailing and IM’ing in between those times.

Yvonne knows me better than many of my friends do here at home. But the strange thing was that even though we know all about each others’ families, we’d never all met, and since Yvonne lives in California and I live in Nashville, I didn’t even know if we ever would meet.

And then, about two weeks ago, I got a phone call asking me and my entire family to attend a mom blogger event in Chicago. It was short notice and I dithered a bit, wondering if I could coordinate a summer vacation in a matter of a few days. And then I got another e-mail informing me that Yvonne and her family were going to be there.

I WAS IN.

I couldn’t wait for my family and Yvonne’s family to meet. More specifically, though, I couldn’t wait for our daughters to meet. They’re both six. They both love princesses and makeup. They both have big personalities. It was, as Yvonne put it, Yvonne and Lindsay 2.0. And just as we’d hoped, from the moment Punky and Gabby met on Wednesday, they became fast friends.

The girls played together at dinner and Punky asked if she could have Gabby over afterward for a playdate in the hotel room. What do you think Yvonne and I said to that?

Gabby brought over a little purse full of makeup. “Do you want me to give you a makeover?” she asked Punky. And from there, the girls’ budding friendship was sealed… with eyeliner and a little mascara.

Can’t you imagine Yvonne and I DYING watching these girls attempt to do each others’ makeup?

The girls spent the rest of the week together, and Friday evening came all too soon. It was time to say goodbye.

They posed together for a few final pictures and when they hugged farewell, I swear that hug went on for more than a minute.

When we boarded our plane a few hours later, I got a text from Yvonne.

Gabby was sobbing for Punky, it read. Like snotty tears sobbing. It made me cry.

MY HEART.

On the way home from the airport, Punky informed us that Gabby was her “first best friend,” and then proceeded to rank her other friends in order after Gabby. Yvonne and I are going to get the girls together on Skype as soon as we can manage it.

I’m glad my daughter has a new “first best friend.”

But I can’t say I’m surprised.