The light of friendship

Some women have dozens of girlfriends. I have never been one of those women. I have never been without friendship, but my circle of friends has never been large, not even as a teenager. Over the years I've lost contact with many of those old friends, but on occasion I have been able to reconnect. My friend Donna, for example, who now lives in Japan.

I first met Donna Reddick in 1969 at Winston Churchill Junior High in Ottawa, when I sat in her seat, by mistake, in first-period Geography class. I was new to Ottawa and so was she; her father had been transferred there on business. She and I and Elaine Roy became fast friends. I lost contact with Elaine shortly after she married in 1978; I believe her and her new husband moved to Calgary, but I'm not sure. Over the years Donna and I managed to keep our connection alive, but sometime in the '90s we lost touch. I haven't seen her since 1985, but a couple of years ago I did manage to track her down, thanks to some intensive googling where I eventually found an online obit for her father, which led me to her mom's address in North Carolina.....so I took a chance and sent a card. Funny how modern technology helps us out. A few weeks later, I heard from her by email.

With other old friends, I have not been so lucky. My best friend in Vancouver, Nancy Vogt, for example. We met in grade five -- we lived in neighbouring apartments and we were in the same grade -- and stayed in contact right up until about April, 1980 (it could have been '81), when my birthday card to her was returned to me, marked "moved". I do on occasion google her name (and that of her little brother, Paul), but I've never found a trace.

I am fortunate to have good friends right now, some I've had for years and some that are new -- all are cherished. I was lucky to share the day yesterday with my friend Nancy and, as often happens, when I left her home my brain was mush. Even when we don't intend to, we always seen to get going with some creative idea or another and then just go with the flow. Exhilarating, but exhausting! If you look at the above photo, you'll see the reflection of both of us, a photograph I took last year when we were on one of our photographic walkabouts. I see the light of friendship in that photo, which happens to be the Day 4 photo prompt over at The Poetic Eye. This image couldn't be more appropriate.