Lunch With A Dear Friend

When I left the house this morning my tulip tree was in full bloom. Spring has sprung, even if a bit early, and this always makes me happy.

Sue and I have known each other for twenty-six years. We met the day my youngest daughter and Sue's eldest daughter started kindergarten. For me, I had already been through this experience twice before, but this was Sue's first time and it was her firstborn and only daughter starting school. She was teary eyed, and I was ready to go for coffee. L.O.L. Since that day, so long ago, we have had a lot of fun times.

Sue and her husband Herb were the party givers of the neighborhood, so the holidays were always extra special.

It's not that we have been such close friends that we talked everyday, but this is a friendship that has been a constant in my life. When your children grow up and move away from home your life goes through a major transition and it's wonderful to have friends that have basically watched you and your kids grow up. The sharing of that history is precious, indeed.

Sue and I both went to Paris this last year. Funny thing is, neither of us knew that the other was going, until our husbands ran into each other at the hardware store. I love that kind of synchronicity. When Sue called me, after her husband told her about his chance meeting with my husband, we decided to meet up in Paris! It took some finagling, but my friend that I was going to Paris with made arrangements so that we could arrive in Paris a few days early, before Sue had to fly home. We had a ball.

We planned to get together when we return home, but Sue started a new job and life was speeding by. That's just the way life happens. Today we had lunch together, which was great, but I do think we need another trip to Paris!

Ah, our beloved Eiffel Tower!

Below is a photo of my friend Sybil Kretzmer, myself and Sue Benham, our first night in Paris, but I'm sure not our last.