Fifteen minutes and you can get through 15 years. Then not missing a beat you are in the present. Not that you don't revisit the past during your time together but you kind of bounce back and forth.
The great part about spending time with old friends is you spend time with them because you want to .....not because you have to.....
Yes, we all have aged and our life experiences have taken us down different roads but there is that common bond of shared experiences from years past that bind us.
Whether it be Peggy and I laughing about stapling BINGO cards for a school fundraiser (or actually NOT being allowed to staple BINGO cards at a PTA meeting) or Debbie, Santo and family members sharing memories of vacations at Wildwood NJ. Watching the younger crowd (they used to be the kids) laughing together as adults.
I enjoyed seeing how all of these friends lives have changed......whether it be at a beautiful new home with a pool to die for and dinner by the water or how people have adapted to the changes in their lives and made choices to live someplace other than New York. There was laughter and a few tears (are you surprised knowing me). There were soul searching discussions over drinks and conversations over coffee at sunrise about what's next for each of us We didn't waste time looking back with regret but lots of excitement about the future.
I think many of us were aware that life has thrown us curve balls but we have dealt with them and moved on. One thing I see as a common thread with all these friends was looking to the future with excitement but also knowing that our time is somewhat limited as compared with when we first met.
In your 20's and 30's you feel immortal.....you are young and have more years in front of you than behind you. Then in the blink of an eye.....we are in our 50's and 60's and we now have more days in the past that in the future. Maybe that is what makes these times more precious and important.
As the days of the summer dwindle toward fall, my friends and I are in the autumn of our lives. While there may be some limitations as to what we might be able to physically do and our recovery time from a fun night may take longer than 3 hours of sleep, a bagel and a Yoo Hoo.....we have much still on our "to do" list (I refuse to use the term bucket list). No one said "I can't"....no one said "never again"....why say those things?? I heard more "I am looking forward to's" and "next time".....and that's the beauty of growing older........you really do not have to prove anything to anyone anymore. You can decide it is time to stop climbing the corporate ladder and be content to do a good job doing something you like for the rest of your career . Or you can finally find the time to do the things you love that you just couldn't fit in between raising a family and work commitments
It's a a great feeling and so freeing......and it all starts with those 15 minutes to catch up....
Thanks to Peggy and Debbie and Santo and the rest of the Wildwood Gang......it was a great!!
See you next week......
