Pulling wagons...

Last night, I joined 8 friends for dinner and drinks at The Deck. If you haven't been, you should check it out. It's a lively, outside 'deck' where you can eat, drink, and be merry along one of Fort Wayne's finest rivers. Although hot and humid, we were thankful for the breezes rollin' in off the coast - or so we pretended. 

Of these 8 friends, three of them have been my friends since 6th grade, four of them since my freshman year of high school, and one I met over the past year (although you would never know who is who because we all fit together like a perfect puzzle). So, amazingly, many of us have been friends for over 20 years -- I have spent more years with them than without them. 

What's so great about this group of friends? We can pick up where we leave off without missing a beat no matter how long it is before we see each other again. Last night, we were short a few of "the girls," but I guarantee the next time they're able to join, the conversation will be as if they didn't miss a thing. Our conversations jump from babies, to significant others and hubbys, to dating, to kids, to laundry, to remember-whens, to hair-dos, back to those significant others and hubbys, to pulling wagons, to things even I won't type publicly on my blog... it's a vicious cycle, really, but we love it. And, somehow, we manage to each be heard and follow along - again, without missing a beat.

I'm sure other groups of friends have bonds, too. But, this group, despite moves, families, jobs, and other life-changing events, has stayed together. Sure, over the past twenty years, a few of us have drifted in and out, but the group is always there to welcome us back, pick us up, and remind us why the heck we were all friends in the first place: we're better together.

Last night was the perfect example.

We laughed so hard my cheeks hurt. We finished each others' sentences. We talked about things that would make other ladies blush. And, we giggled like we were still in high school about pulling wagons. (Literally -- pulling wagons and wagons... of kids.) :)

It's what we do. We're friends. Life-long friends. And, we're good at it. Really good.

So, thank you, ladies, for being one of the best things in my life.