Facebook was invented for days like this...

When Sharon was diagnosed with cancer two months ago, everything changed.

The way I looked at the world.

The way I thought.

My priorities.

I realized that the list of things in this world that truly make me happy is a rather small list. And high on that list are my friends. I've always made friends easily, but I haven't kept up with many of the friends that I once knew. Then along came Facebook, and suddenly, at my fingertips, were many of the people I once knew. Many people I thought I might never see again. Which brings me to yesterday...

Through the magic of Facebook, (and texting, and phone calls and every other form of communication we couldn't have imagined eighteen years ago) I had a wonderful afternoon, with some dear and long lost friends. Face to face.

As it should be.

 Occasionally, you will find someone who can't let go of high school. It was the greatest time of their lives.

If those three years were the best of your life, you need to get out more -- It's a big, beautiful world out there. But high school is an intense social experience, and we forge relationships that can endure. Yesterday six old friends gathered in a park to reminisce, to talk of life and love, of heartache and disappointment, of memories and blessings and of the hand life had dealt each of us.

One is my best friend whom I have spoken with nearly everyday of my life. One I hadn't seen in nearly twelve years, the others it had been almost eighteen. We're all in our mid-thirties now -- that was a lifetime ago. 

Two of us were once a couple, but no one is married to anyone else. Two of us are twins -- who are actually triplets, one of whom has twins of her own. Two of us live in the middle of nowhere -- one in Utah, one in Arizona. Four of us have lost our fathers. We have eighteen children between us -- one has seven, one has no children. One has lived a few miles from me for nearly thirteen years, and I had no idea. We have all been married, but two are no longer. Life has not been easy for anyone, but yesterday I sensed happiness in each of us.

For that I am grateful. 

 

A whole bunch of Balls.

Aaron wanted to know what the macro setting on my camera does. It takes very close up pictures of your nose. I edited out the big black hair.

You're welcome. 

Apparently the maturity level just got to be too much for Dave!

If you look in  the background, you'll notice that the kids are in the process of hi-jacking some poor woman's kite.

The toes of a very hungry and very tired three year old. 

Which of these two is not like the other...

Reminiscing on going to the Homecoming Dance with my best friend's girlfriend, so he could go with someone else. All according to his plan...I had a great time Ellen!

I realized at this point what the kids were doing with the kite. 

Okay, Dave isn't the only one with maturity issues...

We hugged, and ate and talked of the roads we have travelled and the joy of seeing each other again. 

We laughed.

A lot. 

Ellen, Beki, Esther, Dave and Aaron...thank you for a wonderful afternoon. Let's not wait another eighteen years before we do it again.