Thursday, May 31, 2007

Friendship

Today I had lunch with my oldest friend. Not oldest because of age, but oldest because of years we have been friends. We like to say we were friends in the womb. You see, our mothers were friends and our grandmothers were friends. So, it was like we didn't have a choice, of course we would be friends.
Our grandmothers were farm women, simple women who loved God and their families. I remember getting off the bus at her grandmother's house. There were cookies and milk laid out for me. Her grandmother would say, "All children need a snack after a hard day at school." I loved that women and have practiced that motto to this day!
Our mothers were best friends. They even dressed like twins and were inseparable. As teenagers they had the same friends and did the same things. I think there were adventures that we would be shocked to find out about. They made sure we spent loads of time together as we grew up. We have the pictures to prove it.
Today was a day to celebrate her birthday. I won't tell you which birthday because that would give away too much. We have had so many experiences together. We had our first sons only a few weeks apart. We both were teachers. We both have been married twice and now have wonderful loving husbands. We have been through all kinds of trials like her cancer that brought us even closer.
Today we celebrated her birthday with memories that only we can share. We caught up on our families and adventures to come. Her life to me is a treasure. I know so many others that feel the same way. I am just so thankful that I have had the chance to have her as a friend for so many years and we have this wonderful history together.
If you have a friend that you've had for years, cherish it. If you have a new friend, grow that friendship. Friends like mine are rare but a life experience no one should miss! Happy Birthday, Friend!!!

6 comments:

Sarah Amick said...

meme (mēm) n. A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
Thought you might like to know this. Found it when I was blogging. Thank you for the memories writing. I think that it would be cool to have a friendship that lasted that long and had so much history.

Jen Barney said...

Thank you for that post. Often in our lives we take for granted our friendships.

Ruth Ayres said...

Hi Kathy --
I wanted to comment on your post from Friday, but didn't want it to get buried!

What an amazing poem. Would you mind if I used it in classrooms? It makes me want to smile and cry all at the same time. It makes me want to go to school tomorrow and hug as many kids as I can so that they know they matter.

Had a great time talking with you on Friday. You have so many incredible ideas. You are such a role model to me -- your passion for learning and teaching are contagious. I feel so fortunate to have met you.

I'm glad you're in the blog world. It has really pushed me professionally, so I get excited when others join the adventure. I'm hoping Sandie starts blogging soon. I'd love to be able to get "doses" of her throughout the week too.

See you in a few short weeks in Shipshe!

Sarah Amick said...

Hey Kathy, just got an email from Ingrid and she too has been coerced into blogging. Here is her blogspot. Check her out!
http://edublather.blogspot.com
Cool that Ruth loves that poem by J.W. in Jen's class. He is so amazing!

Kirsten said...

There is nothing more rewarding than a strong friendship.

Kirsten said...

hey kathy...what is the name of that book that we used when we collaborated for our inservice. the one we got all the great lit responses out of....i want it!