Revitalized by old friends and GAC

I am always amazed at the relationship of long lasting friends. My day Thursday was just as I had anticipated it would be. The relationship with my "ole" high school friends amazes me. I don't see them on a daily basis, we e-mail but we don't talk on the phone. I live 50 miles away and yet distance and time never changes nor weakens the ties that bind us together. We have all weathered many of life's storms, some have experienced widowhood, divorce, child and spouse that are less than perfect, caring for aging parents, and many more stresses and life challenges. But somehow we have survived and amazingly still love life and the adventure of the journey. . . . remember we are children of the 50's and teenagers of the 60's. We are the beginning Baby Boomers . . . living the American Dream. For some we were the first of our families to go to college, we raised families and worked outside the home. We were part of the process to bring about social changes and yet we stayed close to our heritage and our roots. My little band of sisters are now aging with grace and beauty. The grace and beauty that radiates from the inside.

Little great-Auntie Colleen went shopping with me earlier in the day. What a fun time we have. She lifts me to a higher level and makes me feel good about myself. She is a character and we laugh and can find humor in a lot of things. She is 78 years old and doesn't miss a beat, quick on her feet and has the endurance of a much younger person. I have a hard time keeping up with her. She is my mother's aunt. Her and my mother are the same age, so when I am with her I feel like she is an extension of my mother. I didn't get to have my mother for very long, just a short 7 years not nearly long enough. Her death took my childhood away and in some ways it took away parts of my adulthood. . . I cling to my aunties for a glimmer of something I could have had. . . Life is amazing. I am surprised any of us make it to the end! But what a beautiful ride for anyone willing to move at an exhilarating rate of speed and wonder. . . .