24 years flew by...

About a year ago, thanks to Facebook, I found Kathy Tamanaha...a friend among the best from my teenage years. According to Kathy, our friendship started when she asked to borrow a pencil from me in class in 7th grade. I don't remember that moment, but I have always remembered Kathy and wondered about her all these years. I hadn't seen her since 1986.

This weekend we had our reunion, in Seattle of all places, just 3 1/2 hours north of where I have been for the last 10 years, and she has been there all along.

My favorite picture of Kathy was the last I took as we were leaving. Her cute porch, her cute house, and everything all pretty inside. I could have moved in and stayed forever. The friendship felt just as comfortable as it always had despite the fact that it had been more than half our lifetime since we had last seen one another. That's the only time I start to feel old, when I realize how long I have had my friends. Lucky me, to have friends I have known for so long.

When I first arrived her door was open, I mean open like the bugs could fly in and they probably did but I didn't notice. The back doors were open too and the cool breeze blew through the home as we hugged on her porch after 24 years. Thinking about it now, takes me back to that moment and the tears wet my face like it's happening again. You can never really know how you're going to feel in any given moment, and I was overcome with joy that still sits within me. We chatted for awhile before Chris arrived. All three of us from Michigan, and now calling different big cities home...Chicago, Seattle, and Portland. Chris was in Seattle for buisness and so this was the perfect weekend for our reunion with our long lost friend. Chris was as tearful as I was. It's funny to read what we wrote about in our yearbooks, and to look at ourselves from back then. Our stories were of slumber parties, girls being girls, passing notes, having crushes on boys, and all the rest. Silly stuff. We were just teenagers! We called and tried to reach Colleen and Laura, but did reach Cheryl as we passed the phone around the table!

The day before Chris and I met up with Kathy we spend the afternoon shopping Pike Place Market and decided to pick up a bouquet for Kathy.

Chris's husband Layne whipped up a mid-day brunch of eggs, bacon, salmon cakes, and Kathy made a yummy yogurt and honey dressing for the fruit salad. Mimosas too!

We took some group shots before it was time to bring our visit to a close. Chris and Layne, together since 1994...

Kathy, Rhonda, and Chris 24 years later... and looking forward to many more visits to come.

Mark, Evan and Rhonda...celebrating 10 years since we first met in Portland in April 2000.

This weekend was truely beyond words. Some bonds just remain and wait, and then are made stronger! Thank you Kathy and Chris for teenage years, and future years, and Chris, for the many years inbetween. You two are the best!