True Friendship Lasts a Lifetime

I had a date yesterday. It was a blind date of sorts. You see, it was with a friend who was my best friend in elementary school. 

Here we are in 4th Grade. Sue's on the end, I'm wearing yellow

She and I attended grade school together in the old days. I remember sleeping over at her place, in the twin bed in the cold upstairs bedroom. As you dropped off to sleep, you could hear Johnson Creek gurgle and talk in the back yard. We wandered around the little farm as young girls, looking at cows. We played in the pond and pulled up skeins of frog eggs that looked like lacy green curtains with emerald sequins . We kept secrets at school, and in our imaginations were sure there was buried treasure out in the playground. We played marbles at recess. Learned  to play the violin from the same teacher. We sang duets together in school programs. She sang lead, I sang harmony. We each loved to read, and would share titles and books we picked up in the bookmobile that visited our school every other week. We talked about everything as best friends do. Our future. Who would we marry? What would we grow up to be? What would heaven be like? In the fifth grade she and I were one of the few select students in our class invited to participate on a local television program where each of us would perform a science experiment. It was so exciting to be on live TV! Most years we were in the same class and always tried to sit next to each other. There was a good chance of that—our last names were close in the alphabet. L and Q. 

This time we sat next to each other: 6th grade

For six years, we remained steadfast friends, but in the middle of the seventh grade, my family moved to Washington State. It was only across the river from Oregon, but at age 12, that’s a long way. 

We corresponded by mail for a few years. I was in her wedding. She came to mine a year later. We even had a few family get-togethers when our first borns were little. But time, as it does to all, ate away any chance of nurturing that friendship. 

Last year on a whim, I decided to see if I could locate Susan on FaceBook. I found her!

Yesterday, we met after at least 25 years. She was wearing an animal print top. So was I! She still had the same winning smile, her hair still strawberry blonde, her eyes, a rich, warm caramel.

Just a few years later.....

We talked for a long time, as good friends do. Neither of our parents are on earth anymore. She’d suffered painful loss in the death of her teenaged daughter. I’d lost two husbands so now there’s a kinship of loss. But it’s really more than that. It’s what caused us to like each other in the first place. As we said goodbye to each other yesterday, we promised it wouldn’t be so long next time. And it won’t. I’m so glad we found each other. Welcome back into my life, Sue!