Friendship

I want to muse about friendships.

Some of us have lived in the same place where we were born. And some of us have moved around a bit. But along the way we all have fostered many friendships.

I hail from the moving around a lot in my life and I am so blessed to have such a diverse collection of friends. The irony though is that most of my friends don’t know each other. And they really only know one phase of my life. Perhaps if they met they would all be friends too. And then they might understand the whole of me.

It’s fascinating how our friendships weave a tapestry of experiences, each connection capturing a unique chapter of our lives. The prospect of introducing friends from different phases might indeed unveil a richer understanding of who we are, creating a mosaic that reflects the diverse influences and moments that shape you.

Last year I read a book where the protagonist invited one friend from each stage of her life to a “reunion” to celebrate her birthday.

The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand is a great beach read!

So I want to talk about the friends who would come to my birthday if I could be so lucky to pull something like that off.

My oldest friend is from grade school. We have kept in touch throughout the years. She moved back to our hometown after college and has lived there all her life. We’ve managed to see each other a few times over the years, and it was wonderful seeing her at our 50th high school reunion.

My closest friend from college has sadly passed away. We faithfully exchanged Christmas cards every year since college. So we followed each others lives. Our marriages, our children, our jobs. Our hobbies. And I was lucky to visit her in 2014 and 2017. Our friendship picked up right where it had left off. And since her death I have been communicating with one her daughters, and that makes me feel close to her.

After college I moved to Baltimore and became friends with a coworker who eventually became my Maid of Honor. We even lived together for a brief time and I remember those late night talks with laughs and sometimes tears. While we haven’t kept up a lot I would definitely include her on the invite list.

A second dear Baltimore friend shares my love of crafts. She helped me when I moved to Chicago when I couldn’t drive because of some complications in my pregnancy. Hubby was driving the u haul truck and my friend drove our car while I rested and navigated . And when that daughter was born I used my friends name as my daughter’s middle name.

From Baltimore I moved to Chicago. That’s where my 2 daughters were born. And where I met a lovely British woman. Our husbands were both surgeons who worked together and our children were about the same ages. I remember coffees, swim dates, dinners out and trips to downtown Chicago for pedicures and massages. In that phase of our lives our husbands were married to their jobs so we supported each other as we were basically single Moms. We text and email each other regularly now. Neither of us live in Chicago anymore.

Las Vegas was my next home, and my closest friend was a woman who was my husband’s secretary for years. We both were from NY and we are both Italian. We still call each other and speak regularly.

But it was in Las Vegas where I began a hobby turned business which had me traveling to shows and classes and where I met 3 special ladies. For 15 years we met at a conference and enjoyed a week of dinners and classes and wine and late night talks and of course shopping. Zoom is our friend now.

We moved to Dayton Ohio much to my chagrin. Two ladies from Dayton would also be included. Both share my love of Lampwork glass.

And crafts have also played a part in my meeting a special lady in Tucson. We share dinners and lunches together with our spouses. Our friendship is still new and evolving.

All of these friendships are extremely important to me. This poem by Maya Angelou is perfect.

Alone

By Maya Angelou

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires
With money they can’t use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They’ve got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

And the Beatles could not have said it any better….. Click the image to hear Ringo

A Sunday Breakfast Treat

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes… 200 calories…. Here’s the recipe

Thanks for reading…. Have a great week