Alone after a week of company in two parts—friends from past years when we were raising our families in Detroit. I realized as the weekend drew to a close how very blessed I am with friends and family. Life has not always been easy or pleasant, and these women have seen me through the worst spots, even when we were not physically close. They have listened to me bitch and complain and cry and they have also shared my joys and accomplishments.
My friend, Barbara, was here at the beginning of the week Besides a lot of general catching up, we share a deep passion for spiritual things as well as our families and are both writers. She shared a chapter from the book she is currently writing and our discussion filled me with new insights and new questions. We were also invited to lunch with a neighbor couple who I have grown to love and appreciate and who wanted to talk to Barbara about her religious journey. Coming from very different backgrounds and experiences, our lunchtime experience fed all of us, both our bodies and our spirits. I love it when my new friends meet my old friends and something immediately clicks and connects at a level beyond the everyday chit-chat.
On Friday three friends, also from Detroit child-raising days, met for our fourth annual get together weekend. Saturday we took a nostalgic tour of our old neighborhood—Rosedale Park, Grandmont area, taking pictures of our old homes, buying again the still delicious almond coffee cake at Knudsen’s Bakery on Six Mile, talking a bit with the delightful woman who waited on us and two customers who seemed fascinated with the “little old ladies” who were doing the nostalgia bit in their neighborhood. Outside the store one of our group was having her own conversation with an assertive Jehovah’s Witness. Nothing much has changed there. The neighborhood is still very well maintained and my old home looked the same as it did when I left in 1981—Blue shutters and bright blue door have obviously been painted and still look bright and welcoming. Our stomachs said lunchtime, so we stopped in at George’s, formerly the IHOP we had all frequented on occasion. We met and talked to George’s son now sole owner and had a wonderful lunch of BLTs with bacon, fried crisp just the way we liked it. Leaving there, we went on to the Redford Theater that has been restored to its former Japanese style. We listened to the amazing organ recital prior to the showing of “American Graffiti”. ..a trip back in time.
Home again my sons and their families met us. They had prepared and were grilling our dinner for us at our beach/picnic area. Such fun for friends to see the “kids” who were teenagers when last seen, and meet their children who are now teenagers (one nine year old). The kids and dads went swimming. The evening ended about 9 p.m. as we said our goodbyes to family. My mistake…not yet ended. One of my friends asked about the softball tournament my granddaughters (they’d met the night before) were playing in not too far away. Before we knew it we had piled in the car and were off to the game—got there during the third inning. Beautiful evening for softball under the lights, a cool breeze, lots of good energy and they won 10 to 1. We were four tired friends who talked a bit before calling it a night just after midnight. I had a last swallow of wine, and fell into bed; slept soundly until morning.
I’ve been thinking about my week and about friendships. Wherever I have gone throughout my life, I have made friends, some of them have stayed with me when I or they have moved on to new places. With some we have lost our connection for a time, then reconnected later. Our friendships have grown and changed, and I have been richer for their presence in my life. I hope they can say the same about me. I’ve been in South Lyon for not quite three years now. I was warned that it would not be so easy—at my age—to meet people and make true friends, but again I find I have made some very special friends here. I can never replace the friends who I’ve left behind or lost through death (they remain in my heart), but I can add to my prosperity and the fullness of my life with new acquaintances who gift me with their friendship and presence in my life.
