The first thing I think I noticed was that she was smart…we both had really good grades.  Bonus was we lived in the same neighborhood and it was an easy trek from her house to mine and mine to hers.  She loved science fiction and fantasy, we both were avid readers, and she tolerated our house of cats.  We talked and talked about everything and spent oodles of time in my bedroom sharing secrets.  Her house always smelled of yummy food, something homemade and I remember lace.  Maybe doilies, not sure.  She was rather shy but had a quick wit and an incredible sense of humor and a huge smile.  

Right after our eighth grade graduation she moved away with her family and neither of us can remember how we lost touch, when the letter exchanges stopped.

A while back she sent me a message but her last name wasn’t there.  I made a guess and sent a message back, maybe six or eight weeks ago. Got a bit worried that I didn’t hear from her. Yesterday she found my message and we exchanged the basics.  

Today we called!

I feel as if for the first time since my friend Kim died (and it’s really odd, Donna, that your friend back there is named Kim – I met my Kim after my daughter was born, about 16 years ago), I actually have a girlfriend again!  Wow!  Praise God!  

I’m thinking about how time goes by and how what we think we know we don’t really know.  As we talked, both Donna and I found out things that were in our lives at the time that we either had never discussed or didn’t recall discussing.  Important things that shaped both of us to be the individuals we are today.  Funny how when you’re a kid you don’t see the whole picture.  Funnier still that when you do as an adult, things that you didn’t know made sense suddenly do.

I knew she was a responsible, good-hearted, kind, beautiful girl…I didn’t know where all the seriousness and responsibility came from until now.  

I knew she was an animal lover…somewhere in the box of photos is a picture of her and I holding our 4 week old kittens outside on the grass, grinning into the sunlight, and when I find it I will scan it in.  I didn’t know she would feel as I do…our pets are our furry babies.

I knew she was smart, smart, smart!  Loved that about her because sometimes being smart can be a stigma and with Donna I didn’t feel that.  I could get great grades and be proud of them, not try to hide them from everyone.  I just learned she graduated college with honors!  I’m so proud of her!

I knew she had a terrific imagination…I didn’t know she was a writer and edits books now!  

I knew I enjoyed our time together…and I’m so thankful we found each other again!  I feel like a kid who has an extra Christmas present and I’ve opened it and it’s the one thing I always wanted!  I feel extra blessed tonight!

I’ve written before about friends and reconnecting with old friends.  Amazing that those we meet and love as kids seem to stay deep in our hearts no matter how much time goes by. It’s as if a childhood feeling of familiarity is experienced but then there’s the part that’s made us who we are now and catching up is infused with a different type of curiosity than if you’ve just met someone…it’s like putting together the edges of a familiar puzzle but the middle pieces create a fuller picture now.  

I can’t wait to talk again…and it better be next week because I don’t want to wait another 40 years!  I can just hear Donny Osmond singing…”I met a girl, Donna was her name…”

🙂