The Other Gold

There's a Brownie / Girl Scout song that goes "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." I always loved that song. To me it meant treasuring what you had but always being open to something new.

Although I have some Silver friends who are really in the Platinum category, I want to talk about the ones in the Gold category today.

I went to my 50th high school reunion recently. First of all, there's a big credibility gap between my actual chronological age and my mindset age. A couple of years ago I went to an immunologist and I was thrilled because he was also a pediatrician. To me it meant I was in my second childhood: however my closest family and friends say I have never left my first one. I don't consider that a bad thing. It makes life ever so much more fun.

I digress--and probably will more than once since I am right brained . Back to the reunion. Sadly there were people who didn't come because 1) no one will know me, 2) I won't know who anyone is, 3) I don't earn as much as some of my classmates, 4) I've gained weight, 5) I have wrinkles, 6) I'm not married, 7) my hair is gray (I have no hair), 8) my life didn't turn out as I expected, etc, etc, etc.

I've got news for you. When you go to a 50 year reunion no one is really seeing you as you are now. If they are there for the right reasons, they are seeing you, not with their eyes, but with their heart. If they are there just to impress people with their current status and how "successful" they are, then they have missed the meaning of success and the only thing you can do is show compassion, and avoid them like the plague!

Unfortunately when you are part of a huge senior class (620 plus), you not only don't know everyone, but you don't get to visit with all the ones you know at the  reunions. One dear friend, Judy, who was also a college roommate, didn't come to the reunion, so I called her on Sunday afternoon and we visited for over an hour on the phone. It was great fun and one of the few people I actually got to have a long visit with over the weekend.

I was thrilled to find out that Ann is now a weaver. We had discussed weaving at our 40th reunion and she had come over to see my looms and wheels. I gave her some sources and she took some classes and is now weaving. I was even able to unload give her some books on weaving before she left this time.

Jim is not only a physician but he also enjoys photography and travel so I was able to give him the contact information for a long time friend on the West Coast that I am sure he will enjoy meeting. I do love connecting interesting people with others who have similar hobbies.

Gloria and Margarette are almost always seen together and they are two people I really admire and adore being around. They both have had very impressive careers and yet their friendship remains steady and they are two of the most down to earth people I know. I just love hanging out with them.

Particularly special was seeing those with whom I had attended elementary school. Who would have thought back then that we would be living so far away from each other as adults. Several of the guys and their wives take a trip together each year. How awesome is that? Again, there just wasn't enough time to really visit, but just seeing those dear, remembered faces was a huge plus for the weekend.

To me, friendship means being involved in each others lives, not just a lunch or get together once in a while. It means calling a friend to chat, dropping a note in the mail, sending a text when something funny or special happens. It means responding to a prayer request with more than just a routine reply but rather actually doing the praying. I have been blessed to have friends in my life who get the real meaning of friendship and I treasure every one of them.

I remember my Momma had some friends that she played bridge with but that wasn't the only time she saw them. They visited with each other and truly enjoyed each other's company. Not at "functions" but rather as part of their daily lives. That's friendship: the "over the back fence" type of friendship.

Well, I told you in the beginning that I was going to ramble and sure enough I have. Bottom line, while I didn't get to visit with everyone I wanted to at the reunion, I hope that the reconnections made there will lead to better communication in the future. Finding Gold again is always special and it remains very valuable even if it isn't polished as often as it should be. I hope to do better in the polishing area.