Old Friends Are Like Gold...

Today we had the opportunity to spend the day with 2 very special friends of our family. These 2 knew my hubby and me separately before the two of us ever laid eyes on one another. I have spent the last few hours, since they left, remembering the really funny times we shared.

I met these 2 (they happen to be twins) in the 4th grade at Sunday School. Yes, that was an extraordinarily long time ago. I remember being very shy and reserved and these 2 smiled and welcomed me back then. That is so like them...

You see, these 2 ladies are the most gregarious people I have ever met. They know someone everywhere they go; they never meet a stranger. And when they meet people, the conversation is always about that person... they never feel the need to interrupt and focus on themselves, their lives and family.

You know what is really amazing? They are literally happy people. Just happy! I've known them for 30+ years and they are still happy! Not a fake, superficial happiness; just a genuine, love-for-life type of happy.

It is not that their lives have been a breeze... in fact, we shared some times in our twenties which were anything but easy. However, these 2 always land on their feet with a smile on their face.

To recap some really great times... when one of them threw her gum out the window on a church trip and the gum came in my window and got stuck in my hair; my hubby's great memory of one of them calling him 'sugar bear' in school just to get him to smile; being present at the birth of 5-year old twins - long prayed for and absolutely beautiful and healthy; these two always being the first ones at the hospital when we had our babies; helping one with her monogramming business as she did an entire drill team's monograms in several days... and I could go on forever. They make me laugh just thinking about them.

And their children... it is so neat to watch them grow up. There is a teenage beauty who seems very grounded, a super athlete, and a set of also gregarious twins who are going to knock their teacher's socks off when they start Kindergarten in the fall.

I'm so grateful today for old friends. I have several more that I'd love to brag on another time, but for now, I'll just share these 2 and treasure the time and memories we've made. And I'll sit and giggle to myself and think of all of the chips and salsa we've shared through the years!!