Friendship

Supposedly Lyle Lovett said, "You don't have to have anything in common with people you have known since you were five.  With old friends, you have your whole life in common.

This weekend, I was privileged to spend time with three friends.  My mother and Karen's mother co-taught 3 year old Sunday School together . . .when Karen and I were that young.  We go back even farther than five!!

Karen, Kaye, Faye, and I were inseparable.  I spent time digging through an old scrapbook on Sunday afternoon and almost every page told the story of things we had done - from eating ice cream to going to the movies to going on church trips.

For years, we've talked about getting together for a girl's weekend and that is all we've done about it - talk.  Several months ago, I sent a facebook message to the three of them and said, "let's do it."  So we did.

They all arrived at my house on Friday afternoon.  Poor Kaye and Faye had to stand outside in the hot sun because I was in the back of the house and didn't hear the doorbell or knocks.  They met my neighbor, Susan, in the park who was even trying to call me on the phone.

Karen arrived a little later and we officially started the weekend with cocktails.  I taught them about Moscow Mules!!

We walked to a local restaurant for dinner and then sat on our upper front porch until 10:00.  We talked about anything and everything over the weekend - husbands, kids, politics, memories.  It was wonderful.  We fell back into the easy pattern of friendship from years ago.  On Saturday, we ate a leisurely breakfast and talked more.  We checked out lots of furniture consignment shops and even a thrift store (and no one bought a thing!).  We ate lunch at Moe's BBQ and talked some more. 

After they left, I went on a digging expedition in my craft room.  I tried to find some pictures of all of us.  Karen and I are in our early 20's in the picture below -- this was the weekend that I learned to water ski!!  I wish I still looked like that.  Now you know that I'm not a natural blond.  My hair was dark!

Karen was the maid of honor in our wedding and Kaye and Faye were bridesmaids.  Pretty fun to have two sets of identical twins in the wedding!!  At one time or another, all four of us were roommates - Karen and I lived together; Kaye, Faye, and I lived together.

You can't really see any of us in the picture above but I copied it because I book the weddings at Trinity now as part of my job . . .and I don't remember seeing that many candles in a wedding in a long time.  I love those curvy ones on the outside!!!

Karen is on the left of the picture and then Faye.  My sister-in-law, Susie is next and Kaye is on the far right.

In the picture below, Faye is on the far left and Kaye is on the right.  We go way back.  I was a bridesmaid in Faye's wedding and the maid of honor in Karen's.  I drank way too much at Kaye's wedding reception.  One of those events I'll never forget!!

Our friendship has withstood the test of time.  We may not talk every week.  We may go years without seeing each other but just like the quote -- we have our whole lives in common.  They knew both my mama and my daddy.  They knew my sisters.  I knew their parents.  We spent the night in each other's homes.  We laughed together (and we did lots of that over the weekend!!).  They have seen me at my worst and still love me.

We have vowed not to let so many years lapse between gatherings.  We've actually talked about getting together once a year.  I hope we do.

Old friendships are special.