The summer of old friends

This summer, I've gotten the chance to reconnect with friends that I haven't seen in a long time. A few weeks back I wrote about the high school friends I was able to reconnect with. And this past weekend, I was fortunate enough to have some great friends over that I met at my very first job out of college. We talk often of everybody getting together, but this time we actually picked a date and it actually worked out well--before one couple becomes grandparents, before one moves to Colorado. The get together was a little more tame this time than it was when we used to get together, "back in the day." A little less singing and dancing on the table (ahem, Dave!). A little more chasing after the kids. But still.

I wonder what it is with "old friends." Why do some stick? Why do others not? We are an eclectic group. Even though we all worked at the same place, we all ended up at very different places after that company shut its doors. Almost none of us had "real responsibility" when we met, although one of us had one child and two step children. Since then, we've gone through births and deaths, marriages and divorces, good and bad. We've met individually and carried on separate friendships outside the group, and we've lost touch for months, sometimes years. But despite the time that passes, there's so much comfort to me in that group of friends. In both the getting together and the thinking about them and reminiscing about them. Each one of them holds special memories for me, and has a special way that they've impacted me. With life continuing to happen, we will continue to go our separate ways, but I will always hold them close to my heart!

2000 (I think)


2011