The Garden

It takes a long time

to grow an old friend.

~ John Leonard

A special friend once

told me that when she thinks of her

friends, she thinks of a garden.

Some friends are

like annuals,

thrown together

in riotous color

because of school

or work or you

volunteer together or

your children are friends.

And when that

season is over,

the tie that bound

is slack;

the friendship slowly

fades and is gone.

 

And that's okay.

We need annuals;

they have their

own unique place

in the garden.

Because we have

perennials....Those

friendships that endure

the seasons and that

can be counted on

to be there,

 year after

year.

As a child, my family moved

a lot and I left in my wake a

trail of annuals....friendships

that blossomed brightly and

then were gone.  In my heart,

I am so thankful for each and

every one of them for befriending

the new girl....

Pam Keehan of Glens Falls, NY {2nd and 3rd grade}, thank you.

Dena Blevins of Walla Walla, WA {end of 3rd; 4th}, thank you.

Sheryl Miller of St. Helens, OR {5th grade}, thank you.

Lori Adams of Salem, OR {6th, 7th and start of 8th}, thank you.

I still remember them all, but despite

initial earnest letter writing, we

are no longer in touch.

Some friends you can see only a

few times a year or even a decade,

but you pick up right

where 

you

left

off

like it was yesterday, when you were 

first nestled in that garden, together.

I am so excited because

in a few short weeks

I will be reunited with

that very pal I first mentioned,

who thinks of friendship like a garden.

We haven't seen each other

 in over five years!

How easily we might have been annuals,

but lucky me, our friendship grew

strong, sweet roots.

A Gymboree class in Indiana brought us

together, almost exactly 15 years ago.

She made her entrance to the first class

a bit late; she'd gotten a little lost, as she

wasn't from the area.  Her nine-month

old daughter on her hip, she gracefully

joined our circle and I was immediately

drawn to her fresh style, warm smile 

and yes, I must admit, her accent.

She's from New Zealand.

Her family was in Indianapolis while her

husband, an ophthalmologist, completed a

 fellowship at the Indiana School for the Blind.

Despite growing up a world away

from each other, we found that we

were kindred spirits and could

easily talk for hours.  We enjoyed

meeting with our baby girls to

chat about everything and anything.

Hopes, fears, dreams; we covered

a lot of ground while chasing after two

 little tykes.  And we laughed. A lot.

Indiana
1996

Our friendship had only blossomed

 for a year when it was time for them

to return home.  Tears were shed.

This was not like having a friend move

to New York or California or even

Hawaii.  This was a move that

would separate us by half of

the earth!

But we were perennials.

California
2000

Mainly we have communicated via

 letters and the Internet, as

coordinating a phone call can be both

costly and tricky.  When it is 9AM here

  on Monday, it is already 3AM Tuesday 

 morning, there.  Helga has the most beautiful 

handwriting and when I open the mailbox

and see her unique script on a card or parcel, 

it always lifts my spirits as I anticipate brewing

a cup of tea and savoring every word.

New Zealand
2002

Since Helga and her family returned

to New Zealand in 1996, I have seen

 her three times.  Our upcoming

visit will be the shortest ~ just one

lovely day together ~ but it may just

be the most precious.  Like old 

times, we'll talk and talk, but now as

perennials that have braved many

more seasons in our own gardens.

Some of those seasons have brought

 a lot of stormy weather as we have both

 faced life's  inevitable ups and downs.

But our friendship has endured.

We have endured.

Perennials.

Minnesota
2005

Do you have a special perennial

in your garden of friendship?

I'll pour the coffee.
Let's visit that garden.

xx

Suzanne

Posted in friendship