A tell-tale mark of a wonderful weekend with friends is the little bit of heartbreak that accompanies the hours immediately after their departure. Like a dog left behind, I find myself going back to the front door and looking out to confirm that their cars are gone, then revisiting the spaces where we laughed and talked and ate. That sadness used to wreck me, but now it serves as a welcome reminder of how much my friends mean to me, and how vital they are in seeing us through this moment in history. The world is scary these days, and if you are lucky enough to have friends you’ve known for decades – something that seems to be more and more rare – the only way to make it through is to do it together.
Ann and Missy have been with me since childhood – Missy is probably the first non-family friend to have known me longer than anyone other than Suzie. Whenever I’m with them, it feels like I’m home, and in this Island Summer, we made the weekend into a badly-needed bit of escapism, where laughter and silliness reigned, and our souls were renewed and replenished.
The past few years have brought great change and tumult for all of us, and only relatively recently did it dawn on us that we need more get-togethers to make it through all the awfulness that growing older simply throws at you. There is an ease and comfort that lifelong friends provide which is healing in so many ways. It is release and relief and joy all at once, and the longer you’re in that state, the more you heal, the more you feel happiness, and the better life becomes. Even when the outside world is crumbling around us, this past weekend will stay as part of my heart, and I’ll access it to remember there is goodness and kindness and chosen family around us – we need only to reach out and invite them in.
Until our next get-together…
