Playground Reunion

So many people come in and out of our lives. How many times do you find yourself saying, "I wonder what ever happened to so & so (you fill in the blank)". Former co-workers, ex-neighbors, and in some instances, blood relatives fall out of touch. Very few of us keep in contact with who we were closest with in high school. Yet, I am fortunate. I keep contact with not just one, but three friends from grade school.

The old neighborhood that I grew up in is nothing like it used to be. What used to be a tightly-knit neighborhood is now deteriorated and crime-ridden. The parish, St. Gerard's, used to be a thriving parish but is now closed, along with its elementary school which I attended. But, remaining, are the friendships that formed decades ago. There is nothing formal that would cause us to stay in touch. That is, we do not work together, nor do we live in the same parts of town. Our families no longer live in the neighborhood in which we grew up. Our bond is our history.

Tonight, I met my friends Christina, Lea and Tracy for dinner at Bravo. It was so nice to spend the evening together. We haven't always been as good about getting together on a regular basis. But through the years we would continue to touch base again, each time picking up exactly where we left off. We now try to meet every three months. This evening, we spoke of our children, relayed news of shared acquaintances, and reminisced. Very much like siblings, who else knows and understands so much of from where we each came? In so many ways, my reunion with my childhood playmates felt like a homecoming. And for this I am grateful.