"Coming home"
"Time it was, and what a time it was, it was...A time of innocence, a time of confidences..." Simon and Garfunkel
I had the opportunity to spend some very precious time with childhood friends recently. All I kept thinking about was how extraordinary it was that we were finding each other again. I never realized how emotional and life-changing it would be. I grew up with these wonderful people and knew them as children. We rode the bus together, learned together and played on the playground together. Today, I find them startlingly profound and intelligent and yes, driven. Familiar, comforting memories came to me as we talked well into the early morning, drinking chardonnay, on the deck of a quite spectacular house in the Adirondacks or having drinks, over-looking the Hudson. Everything old was newly discovered and no one was more surprised by this than me. I remembered the familiar smells of home cooking, fresh air, laughter.
I was initially nervous about meeting up with my friends again. What would we have in common now? Would we have anything to really talk about as adults? Would we even like each other as adults? Within a nanosecond, I realized how foolish I had been. We were older, maybe slightly more judgmental (but we earned that thank you very much...) but we instantly found our love of conversation. I realized that no one escapes hurts, disappointments, tragedies, loss. We talked about aging, our parents, relationships, the successful ones and the failures. My friends had become brave people...courageous people...with strong resolves and resiliency.
I was coming home and filling the unknown holes that were in my heart.
As we talked about our childhoods, our parents, families, and everything in-between, it occurred to me that I would never be alone. Friendships need to be nurtured and continued. It doesn't matter how many years go or what hurdles we jump. Life has a way of sending us those people who can comfort us, just at the exact moment that we need it. They remind us that we offered more than we ever realized. Childhood can be incredibly cruel. We doubt ourselves, and our abilities. The insecurities surface for all of us in our youth. We relocate and go in the direction that we feel is correct. It's the ties we make that either get us through those difficult years or potentially destroy us. Our youth defines our adulthood. I was astounded by how much I had forgotten until my friends reminded me...our favorite classroom teachers, wonderful summers spent at the local lake or at the dinner table. Intimate discussions on the school bus...We felt safe.
This summer has taken me back to the warmth and love of those love me. Not that childhood was perfect. Anyone who says theirs was is lying profusely. The time I spent with these good, sweet people from my youth has empowered me. I thank them for their warmth, love, encouragement and faith. I am so anxious now to see how the next chapters of our lives evolve. It can only get more interesting, and more compelling. These are not "old friends," these are heroes. They reminded me that I was a carefree, innocent, loving, kind individual and this is why I've been so incredibly blessed to have them come back into my life.
I had the opportunity to spend some very precious time with childhood friends recently. All I kept thinking about was how extraordinary it was that we were finding each other again. I never realized how emotional and life-changing it would be. I grew up with these wonderful people and knew them as children. We rode the bus together, learned together and played on the playground together. Today, I find them startlingly profound and intelligent and yes, driven. Familiar, comforting memories came to me as we talked well into the early morning, drinking chardonnay, on the deck of a quite spectacular house in the Adirondacks or having drinks, over-looking the Hudson. Everything old was newly discovered and no one was more surprised by this than me. I remembered the familiar smells of home cooking, fresh air, laughter.
I was initially nervous about meeting up with my friends again. What would we have in common now? Would we have anything to really talk about as adults? Would we even like each other as adults? Within a nanosecond, I realized how foolish I had been. We were older, maybe slightly more judgmental (but we earned that thank you very much...) but we instantly found our love of conversation. I realized that no one escapes hurts, disappointments, tragedies, loss. We talked about aging, our parents, relationships, the successful ones and the failures. My friends had become brave people...courageous people...with strong resolves and resiliency.
I was coming home and filling the unknown holes that were in my heart.
As we talked about our childhoods, our parents, families, and everything in-between, it occurred to me that I would never be alone. Friendships need to be nurtured and continued. It doesn't matter how many years go or what hurdles we jump. Life has a way of sending us those people who can comfort us, just at the exact moment that we need it. They remind us that we offered more than we ever realized. Childhood can be incredibly cruel. We doubt ourselves, and our abilities. The insecurities surface for all of us in our youth. We relocate and go in the direction that we feel is correct. It's the ties we make that either get us through those difficult years or potentially destroy us. Our youth defines our adulthood. I was astounded by how much I had forgotten until my friends reminded me...our favorite classroom teachers, wonderful summers spent at the local lake or at the dinner table. Intimate discussions on the school bus...We felt safe.
This summer has taken me back to the warmth and love of those love me. Not that childhood was perfect. Anyone who says theirs was is lying profusely. The time I spent with these good, sweet people from my youth has empowered me. I thank them for their warmth, love, encouragement and faith. I am so anxious now to see how the next chapters of our lives evolve. It can only get more interesting, and more compelling. These are not "old friends," these are heroes. They reminded me that I was a carefree, innocent, loving, kind individual and this is why I've been so incredibly blessed to have them come back into my life.
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