Two Peas in a Pod: Welch & Hardy

Tuesday, April 19th 2016

Two Peas in a Pod:

Mrs. Jennifer Welch (Theatre Arts Teacher) and Mrs. Michelle Hardy (School Nurse)

Written By: Gracie Gilchriest, Historian

Edited By: Sarah Harper, Senior Editor

Best Friends

When a typical student is in the classroom, instead of focusing on the assignment at hand, their mind tends to wander about the insignificant details within the classroom. Look at that awesome tiger on the wall. Those green eyes are cool. I wish I had emerald green eyes like that. When surveying Mrs. Welch’s theatre classroom, I noticed on the bookshelf a bright pink picture frame of two blonde headed women, who I recognized as Mrs. Michelle Hardy on the left and Mrs. Jennifer Welch on the right. Their close embrace and eager smiles warmed my heart and made me realize: Wow. Teachers actually do have lives outside of school. With further investigation, I concluded that they have one of the most genuine and enduring friendships on the Silsbee High School staff.

Where it all Started

From the moment Mrs. Welch and Mrs. Hardy met each other on a double date with their husbands at the fair, they have been inseparable. Mr. Nathan Welch met Mr. Tom Hardy at his new job at the Silsbee papermill, and they had the bright idea to combine forces with their wives -- little did they know that throughout the next eighteen years they would become family. Originally from Louisiana, Mrs. Welch was the newbie in town with no family to accompany her. Soon enough, she and Mrs. Hardy became -- not just best friends --but sisters. “Mrs. Hardy has helped me realize that friends are more than friends, they are your family.”

Through Thick and Thin

Within the last two decades, they have been through it all: the right shade of lipstick, the births of their respective children, the loss of their loved ones, and more. One of Mrs. Hardy’s favorite memories begins when she had her two little boys and Mrs. Welch had yet to have her children. The Welch’s called the Hardy’s, stating that there was a movie about to start in fifteen minutes, and they were curious if their couple in crime wanted to join them.

“We were like ‘Uhh.. We have two small kids, we just can’t get rid of them!’” giggled Mrs. Hardy. “I make fun of her all the time because now she has kids, and knows that there’s a schedule and it gets hectic. You can’t just drop anything you do to go out.”

Family Bond

Along with the strong friendship of these amazing women, their families as a whole have a solid relationship. The husbands remain as close as the wives, and despite the age difference (the “Hardy Boys” being in high school and the Welch kiddos in elementary), they enjoy each other’s company as well.

In fact, the children are so close to the other’s parents that they refer to them as their aunt and uncle.

“I am basically their aunt,” Mrs Welch admitted, “they call me Aunt GG; they're like my nephews because I've known them since birth.” Together, they go out to eat, enjoy LSU football games, and enjoy relaxing vacations.

Oh, and don't forget these lovely ladies work together! When asked about working together, Mrs. Welch said that “It's convenient so we can plan our nights and weekends.” Mrs. Hardy stated that being in the same working environment is “great, some days, but not so great others. It’s good because we can talk to each other, vent to each other, share our day with each other. I like it, but she probably hates it because I disturb her classroom.”

Two Peas in a Pod

Through their relationship, they have learned that while blood may be thicker than water, the strength of friendship can be just as strong. “From Mrs. Welch, I have learned the virtue of being compassionate and loving. She’s very compassionate because she loves my husband and I, my boys, and she’s taught me to be that compassionate as well.” The value of friendship is priceless, as shown from Mrs. Welch and Mrs. Hardy, and their story is proof that blood does not define family.

(J. Welch & M. Hardy, personal communication, April 14, 2016).

(Dixon, Franklin W. The Hardy Boys: The Tower of Treasure. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1959. Print. )

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