But Keep The Old

Today our very dear (dearest of dear) friends, Roxann-Clifton-and-Catherine came by for a visit. They live in Massachusetts now, but have family in Georgia, and stopped here in Pennsylvania on their way through. Roxann is my old friend from college... one of my best friends in the world... a true sister-friend who has stood the test of time. We were at each other's grad/law school graduations. We were in each other's weddings. Her daughter is our God Daughter. And we've been there in between every milestone too. We've weathered the storms. We've seen each other change and stay the same. And now, we go for long stretches of time without seeing each other. But then we get together and -BAM!- it is as if we saw each other the day before and every other day before that. The funniest thing is that now, amazingly, and wonderfully, it is just the same with our kids!!!!?! Catherine, Kyle, and Owen are like 3 peas in a pod, like old old friends who --despite time and distance-- don't skip a beat when they get together... Maybe they get that from their mothers? But maybe there's more to it too. We're raising spirited, full-of-it, larger-than-life kids... and they have a kinship with each other that is easy, breezy, and wonderous. I won't go on and on about it. Suffice it to say, it is very cool. It is also very cool to see K & O meet their match with a girl who has no problem showing them who's boss! Granted, Catherine is two years older than them, but still... this girl knows her stuff. She knows how to get these two going while also keeping them wrapped around her little finger. And that is more than I can say for most all of their other peers. And I just gotta say: I love watching it!!!! The energy of the three of them goes through the rooof. Like Roxaan said today, spending an hour with them is like spending an hour with 30 kids (not 3). And, really, it is so true. Gosh, we love these old friends. Tonight, when we were eating dinner, Kyle and Owen were asking me about how long I've been friends with Roxann. They know we're old friends from college, but they wanted to know exactly how old. Braydon and I had to think about it a bit and then we did the math and it totally shocked me--- Roxann and I have been friends for 18 years... which is how old we were when we met. CRAZY. In another year we'll have been friends for more years of our lives than we weren't. I hope that Kyle and Owen (and soon enough Meera too) will learn from us that old friends are as good as gold. It is important to make new friends, but it is just as important to keep the old. Love you Rox (I know you're reading). xoxo