Reunion
This lovely lady is a dear friend of my mom's. A lifetime ago they lived across the street from one another, raising their small children, navigating motherhood and marriage without family nearby. She has come to visit for the weekend -- a Christmas gift from her daughter, who is my age. It's amazing to watch the generations shift, to see how so much can change and grow and develop -- her shy daughter is now an assistant state's attorney fighting for the rights of battered women. Her gregarious, mischievous daughter is now a mom herself, running a daycare out of her home. Mrs. J herself is now a teacher of special needs first graders. Yet sitting around the table, it's as if nothing has changed. In the 15 years since they last saw one another, the laugh lines may have deepened, but somehow so have the wells of love. There has been a giddy excitement in the house as we prepared for her arrival -- her arrival along with the flood of memories from those years in New Mexico. But she doesn't only bring memories, she's here to make them as well. And as naive as it sounds, I am always (pleasantly!) amazed as my parents continue to experience life. I think from childhood we put our parents in a box -- we assume that they always have been, and always will be, a certain way. We imagine that people of a certain age (or age relative to our own) fit a certain type. But I learned tonight that my mom wasn't always the guru of pumpkin pie -- it was Kathy who introduced her to the art of pie-making. And tomorrow these two grandmothers aren't going to sit and drink tea all day and catch up: they're going to go to the mall and get manicures. (!) May my life be filled with such wonderful friends and may I surprise my children as I walk through the many stages of life.
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I pray this will be us someday...looking back on happy memories and making new ones as we discuss our children and yes, even grandchildren at some point! Looking forward to sharing in all that is to come with you, my friend...
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I finally got to sit down and read what I had "missed" while on vacation. This was undoubtedly the most wonderful vacation a married grandmother could have had! To come full circle yet forgetting our age and living as if we had never left one another, only now we didn't have to worry about what "the kids were doing", or how close it was until our husbands got home and expected dinner. God has richly blessed our lives through the people we meet and keep. We should all feel so blessed by the people around us who encourage us, pray for us, and lift us up when we are down and always look for the best in us, for it is through these relationships that God enables us to overcome great obstacles and live with abundant laughter. Thank you so much for your including me in your insights. I am very humbled. - Kathy
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful picture of my mom!! It has been a long time since I have seen her that full of joy and that makes me smile! It truly is a blessing to have friends in your life that you may not see for over a decade but once face to face again it is as if not a minute has gone by. I know my mom cherished her visit and hopes for more to come. Hopefully next visit we can all get together and relish about all the wonderful past, and future, memories we will make. God Bless!! -Lisa
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