Earlier this summer Alice and I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with friends Don and Cindy while we were visiting other family in Portland, OR. It was a pleasant reunion. I grew up with Don and we spent a lot of time together in elementary school and high school. Shortly after Alice and I were married, the four of us lived in a farm house together for a while; and, in a very 70's experience, we bought a van and traveled out west together ending up in Washington where we lived for a while in a little log cabin while we picked apples. From there our lives started to spin in different directions, but for a while there was few people that I knew better than Don and Cindy.
Even though we only rarely get together now and we've had long gaps of not seeing each other, I'm always glad when we can get together for awhile. Seeing them is always a bit like coming home. That time together created a bond that is always there regardless of the miles and time that separate us. I feel blessed that I have many friends like that from my hometown, from school, and from various places I've worked.
I hope that you all have friends and shared experiences with them that in spite of the years and distance that may separate you, getting together always feels a bit like coming home.
I remember that farm, including your puppies Sunshine(?) and Chokka (sp?). Also remember the van you guys took off in. What is interesting is the variation on the same shared memories we have as we age...My parents spent many hours in their twilight years quibbling over whose memory of a particular place or event was the more accurate. Hugh and I are beginning to head in that direction. This is mostly funny, but at times a bit scary....
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