Taking Time for "Old" Friends

This past weekend, a group of girlfriends and I reunited in the Valley of the Sun for a long overdue catching-up session. As circumstances would have it, I wasn't feeling well the entire weekend, but I rallied for a night to attend the Arizona State/USC football game. At first, I didn't think I'd make it. Our rendezvous spot required me to go through security, pay a cover and muffle my ears as I ran past an extremely loud band playing some kind of music I know I don't like. Failing to muster enough strength to get it done, I chose instead to join my sister and her husband at a quiet sushi restaurant on the other side of the mall. Perhaps it was my looming birthday that suddenly made me feel...(dare I say it?)...old. Tempe, where we went to college, seemed like a distant planet inhabited by strangely robust and bubbly aliens all dressed (I use that term loosely) in maroon and gold, bustling with excitement and eagerly anticipating the setting of the blazing sun.

I pressed on, in spite of my headache and sudden queasiness, and checked into our hotel. As I grabbed a pen to sign for the room, the receptionist handed me a package wrapped in shiny paper and tied with a big bow. My adorable sister had graciously left me a bottle of champagne for my birthday, which oddly brightened my spirits (thanks, Bub). When my friends arrived, it was as if only months, not years had passed. I do see them here and there, but it's been a while since we all put our "real lives" on hold, asked the husbands to watch the children, bought plane tickets, made hotel reservations and actually spent time together.

Spending the afternoon catching up and getting ready for the football game was such a break for all of us! The diversity of our experiences and situations amazes me. We came from Colorado, Maryland, Florida and Arizona, representing six children and four very different career paths. Regardless of our many differences, it was easy to fall back into the friendship we established so many years ago.

Our catching-up continued as we walked to the stadium, joined a tailgate party and headed into the game. Wherever the night took us, it was just good to be amongst old friends. It was comforting to see their success and learn more about the people they've become. Time really doesn't stand still. So much has happened in each of our lives...too much to share every detail. But every detail isn't needed.

It is such a random occurrence, especially as mothers, to take a break and reconnect. There's no getting around the fact that it is difficult to escape. The necessary arrangements seem to never end and schedules seem to rarely coincide. But it's worth it, isn't it? It seems the people who knew me "way back when" understand the significance of where I am today, identify with my daily struggles (even if they don't share them) and even appreciate my sarcasm!

Our weekend reinforced my desire to reconnect more often. Our little group has a tentative plan to do it again in May, when we'll meet in California for a half-marathon (or, in crazy Lauren's case, a full-marathon). Until then, I fondly remember my friends and thank them for putting their real lives on hold for just a moment. Are you waiting to reconnect? It's never going to be easy, but it will most likely be worth it.