Each spring I have the joy of spending time with precious friends as a year ago we began an annual gathering with girlfriends, who graduated high school together. Of all the wonderful gifts in my life nothing is more valuable than family and friends.

Years of moving as a military brat made having close friends nearly impossible. And years nursing the ill or infirmed has helped me understand just how valuable our relationships are to one another.

As I sat listening to and talking with this special group of women, I heard wonderful stories of how they knew each other as far back as nursery school. They grew up riding bikes together, attending church functions together and enjoying slumber parties. Oh what fun that would have been had I been able to do all those same things with the same group of friends. Some have known each other all their lives. Literally. I admire how they’ve remained in contact years after some have even left our hometown after graduating from high school.

We consider our annual get together a retreat and we gather at a home that we rent at Lake Lanier. It is there that we reminisce about silly things we did when we were young. We talk about stupid stuff we did, and also, marveling at how we survived some of our shenanigans. Stories about boys we thought we were in love with and some whom we married or are still in love with. There were beautiful memories of those friends we’ve lost over the years, some of whom our heart hurts knowing the suffering they experienced before passing on. Many who have died from not only medical illnesses but also to suicide.

We shared hurts, old and new. We cried and lifted each other up. Some more willing to share, others more private but with burdens and sorrows of their own. We laughed til our sides hurt. We played Left Center Right and laughed til we cried.

We had lunch out and did a little shopping but we mostly stayed in and enjoyed meals prepared by different ones with great culinary skills … soup and corn bread night, Italian night and Mexican night, cheesecake … complete with libations.

We took pictures to keep our memories alive and enjoyed sharing them on Facebook with our friends who weren’t able to attend so they would see they too need to join us next year and participate in all the joy we experienced.

And as only I would do, my mind reeled with all the emotions of not knowing most of these beautiful souls in high school and thinking of all I missed out on not having them in my life all my life yet at the same time realizing how I NOW have them as friends for life. I didn’t have the joy of riding bikes with them or slumber parties or Anchor Club initiation. But here they are NOW when life really matters and my troubles are truly real. They are here NOW when I need them most in my life.

And here I am NOW always willing to offer a listening ear or a hug when their hurts are so big they don’t know how they can get through another day.

This weekend I came to realize here I am in my golden years no longer a teen age girl with insecurities or jealousies but all grown up and mature, yet I realized in some ways we are still those young girls at heart. Sometimes life as a grown up can still hurt as if you were five or fifteen yet you can also be absolutely crazy silly as if you’re still five or fifteen. Sometimes you’re 60 and thank God your whole life didn’t pass you by without the love and support of your friends.

I truly believe life gives us “do-overs” if only we will pay attention and take advantage of those opportunities. So if you weren’t a good friend when you were young it’s not too late to be just that as long as air is moving through your lungs and your heart is pumping blood. If you missed out on an Anchor Club slumber party, plan a high school girlfriend retreat … just remember the toilet tissue isn’t for mischief and “rolling” someone’s yard but instead for wiping your tears, whether it be from the laughter or the burdens you bare for those friends you’re never too old to make.

Here’s to my beautiful, beloved

Chix of ‘76. You are forever in my heart!