It occurred to me the other day as I was quietly enjoying my back yard, listening to the excitable Blue Jays causing a commotion in my birch trees, that real, true friends are hard to come by. I set out the wine baskets on the patio table waiting for a dear friend to visit. It had been years since I had seen this woman, whom I have known since sixth grade. We survived the angst of those difficult teenage years together, and later when we had children, we anxiously compared notes as to how best to raise them, hoping they would all grow up to be happy adults.
Here she was, looking no worse for wear in the five years since I have seen her kind and open face. We dug into the wine baskets and each had a glass of shimmery Pinot Noir, happily catching up on time lost. After the sharing of family photos and reminiscing about our youth, it was time for her to leave.
Both of us promised to stay in touch, knowing it would probably be another five years until we saw each other again, but true friends last forever.