Special Friends! Thank you

When I was a bit younger...ok a lot younger, I was a huge fan of Harry Chapin.  He was a classic singer/songwriter of the 70's and 80's.  Today's generation might know the song "Cat's in the Cradle" that he wrote and was covered by Guns and Roses.  But in the late 70's it was a hit all on it's own.  Harry wrote a lot of great music, basically story songs, and would get on stage about 300 times a year and sing and tell all of his stories.  One of his family's favorites was "Circle" a song he always ended every show with and also sang at "weddings, funerals, graduations and holidays."  It was a great song, with great lyrics and a deep meaning.  One of my favorite lines in this song is "old friends, they mean much more to me than the new friends, because they can see where you are, and they know where you've been."
One of my oldest friends is Brenda.  Now I have known Brenda since high school.  Back in the day we worked together on the school newspaper.  I was sports editor and she did about everything, including features editor I think.  Most of all she typed all of my columns and stories so they would fit in the paper!  She was a special friend.  We had a group of about 6 or 8 of us that hung out all the time.  Not your typical clique, just a random group of students who all connected in some way or another through the newspaper.
Brenda and I grew to be very close friends, and then at some point we grew apart.  That happens with high school friendships for sure. 
I hadn't heard from her for about 20 years and really had no idea where she ended up.  Then a few years ago we were planning a reunion.  While I didn't track her down before the reunion, I did find out that she was living and working in Florida.  Ironically, she was working with Pepsico, and in fact we had both worked for Pepsi in different divisions at the same time.
The good news is that we reconnected, and since then have kept in touch thanks to emails, cards and holidays.  She never forgets my birthday or Christmas.  In fact some years the only gift I have gotten was from her.  This isn't a sympathy plea!  My family is spread out and we don't always get together for the holidays.  But, Brenda has never forgotten.
Two weeks ago there was a beautiful fresh wreath at my door.  She started that tradition a few years ago.  And last week there was a BIG BOX on the doorstep.  I can't wait to open it! 
But back to Harry Chapin... Brenda is in fact a very old friend!  And indeed she means more to me than most of the new friends I've gathered in the last few years.  I'm very lucky she remembers me!