Close Friendship Renewed After Years Apart

By Darren Brown, News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Tracy Kagay and Lydia Kaap became friends in kindergarten. They were always together, attending the same church, and the same school. But when Tracy's family moved her to a different school--one that Lydia's father didn't approve of, the friendship was put in jeopardy.

"My dad sat me down and said 'Tracy's a bad influence on you, and I don't want you to talk to her, or to see her anymore,'" said Kaap.

Tracy was devastated also. "I didn't understand why the decision was made to end that relationship that we had."

When Tracy's family moved out of state, the two girls tried desperately to keep in contact, but were rebuffed at every turn by Lydia's father.

"There was parental involvement even to the point of college in keeping us separated," Kagay said.

But the tragedy of that lost connection is that Tracy and Lydia shared more than just a friendship--they also shared each other's pain.

"Tracy was going through some abuse, so I was trying to be there for her," said Lydia. "I was going through a lot of emotional abuse at home."

Kagay echoes the sentiment. "We were each other's safe place," she said. "I could tell her anything, and I knew that she could tell me anything."

It was a mutual childhood friend, and the internet, that brought these two girls, now married women, back together. And the short time they spent catching up this week, has gone a long way toward closing doors on the bad memories, and opening doors on the new ones.

"We've got a lot of years ahead of us I hope," said Kagay. "And we can share the rest of our lives together and we don't have to worry about anyone or anything keeping us apart."