My Blessings Are Many

By Trina June Fiedler Class of 1968

I wanted to share a love story with you as it started in Hicksville Junior High School and has lasted over the last 54 years.

I am not sure how many of us have the privilege to have a best friend for a lifetime. I was so very fortunate to meet mine at the first day of homeroom in Hicksville Junior High School . I was very frightened as I knew no one. My family had just moved to Long Island and I did not know anyone attending the school. It was so large, filled with kids who had been together since Kindergarten. My parents moved to Long Island to be closer to my mother's sister, who lived around the corner. Her home was in Jericho . Our home was reassigned to Hicksville school district one month before school started. We had assumed that I would be going to school with my cousins. I was very upset and did not want to attend a "foreign" school. Well, that all changed on the first day of school.
A girl walked up to me that very first day and said, "You know, you look like me!" I did! And so the relationship began that would forever change my life. Christine Marie Flaherty and Trina June Fiedler, an Irish Catholic  and a Jewish girl became best friends, and now as we call each other.. sister. Just a twist of fate brought us together. I do not believe in coincidences . Our love story was meant to be.

We have both been through a lot together. Always standing steadfastly by one another's side. I went to Nassau Community for two years , she went to Kings County Nursing School . I invited her to join one of our sorority functions, for the sole purpose of introducing her to a really great guy that I had met.. James Patrick Norton. Yep.. love at first sight. They have been married for 44 years and have 4 beautiful children and two precious grandchildren. We have both lost our parents, and unfortunately Chris also lost her sister, Margaret ( Peggy)'71. I transferred to the University of Oklahoma and moved to Florida after graduating.  We never let the distance interrupt our friendship. I raised two wonderful daughters in Florida and the 6 kids grew up like cousins. We managed to get together at least twice a year. Our children are still close. We vacationed in Disney many times together. Our family went to NY for Christmas, as we did not celebrate. They came to Florida for Easter break. A week does not go by when we don't talk on the phone to catch up.

However through it all, we are and will always  be sisters!! But for a change in school district, our lives would have taken different paths. I am so blessed and am very grateful for the love and friendship that I found on that first day of Junior High School!

                
Chris in 1962                                                   Trina 1968 Graduation

              Chris & Jim 2015                                                 Chris & Trina

                  
                                   Chris & Trina                                                        Chris with Juliette