Friendships...19º--40º

Yesterday morning early, Herb and I were in Enterprise...He to run errands and I to have my teeth cleaned...For over twenty years now Kathy has made this her job...I arrived with a jar of pickles and a copy of "My Story" for Kathy...Every summer, for several years now, we get a call from Kathy, "I have extra cucumbers this morning?  Do you want them?"  "Of course, I say, Herb will pick them up."  So goes our friendship, we know about each others families, talk about the recent trips that either family has taken, what we are doing for the holiday's and more...We have never been in each others homes, eaten a meal together or even met for a casual lunch...Three times a year our friendship grows, me in the chair, Kathy with her dental tools, peering into my mouth, she can talk anytime, I have to nod or wait for the opportune moment to join the conversation...She is excited about my "Published Story", will read it later at her leisure...The hour passes quickly, I exit the chair,  get my next appointment card, exchange Christmas wishes and outside I climb into our waiting car and Herb whisks me home.

Later in the day I leave the house again, this time to meet Pat at the hospital as she finishes her physical therapy session...We are meeting Amy at the Chinese restaurant for dinner and a discussion of our continuing stories...Now this friendship has been in progress for less than two years..First Pat and I met at Mule days, started walking, talking, laughing, exploring our love of chocolate and wine...then she joined me at write group...That led to a memoir class and Amy entered our circle, soon she joined us at write group...With Pat instigating a longer more intense writing experience we became "We Three"...We see each other twice a week for writing and yoga (Amy teaches) and once a month at "We Three"...We have shared our life stories, been in each other homes, eaten many meals together, drank copious amounts of fine wine and found that Amy also likes chocolate...We have laughed, cried and learned more about each others lives than many people do in a lifetime.

Where am I going with all of this?..I'm not sure...This is just one day in my life with two different kinds of friendships and shows how important all friends are to me...Friends compare to flowers as they brighten my days, make me smile and give me joy...Hugs to all... OWAV:)