The Beach & Friends

This is our second year coming to this particular place in Florida for vacation. We spent 10 years of vacations at the same beach in New Smyrna Beach, FL, and then our move to Texas brought the need to find a more centralized location between Texas and Tennessee. Destin was it and we love it. Last year, on our second day on the beach, there was a girl about Bailey's age who kept wondering around us, looking over, watching our family have fun on the beach. When we moved up to the pool, she ventured over in the water to introduce herself as Abby from Maryland. It didn't take 2 minutes for Abby from Maryland to become fast friends with Bailey. Abby's parents are blessed enough to own property here in Destin and they come the same two weeks every year, which happens to be the same time as our vacation. So, after almost one week of beach fun, our families felt like a friendship had been formed. But our week always flies by so fast and before we knew it, it was time for our Maryland friends to head back north and time for us to venture back across to Texas. But thanks to technology and emails, the girls have stayed in touch over the last year.

So, now we find ourselves in 2009, and right back at the beach visiting with our Maryland friends. And to keep the mind-time-traveling theme going, it didn't take 2 minutes and it was as if no time had passed since the last time the girls had strolled into the water, laughing, jumping waves, just having fun. However, there are some differences to let me know that time has passed. Bailey is now the same height as Abby. I happen to weigh quite a bit less than this time last year (just had to put that in there), and of course, my baby girl is about to become a middle schooler. But here we are, sitting, visiting, talking about beach property, politics, etc...right where we left our Maryland friends this time last year. And I loved it.

Now let me also mention that after dinner, Brody video Skyped with his #1 BFF who is in Texas and has been missing his best buddy quite a bit. And so, of course, the mommy BFF's had to have a little catch up time too. Technology just makes keeping in touch so much easier for us these days.

But the point to my blog isn't really about the passing of time or technology, but about the fact that I've always wanted my kids to have friendships that stretch across time and even miles that are important to them. The ones that just pick back up where they seemed to have left off. One like I have with my childhood friend, Angie. I can say after 28 years of friendship, that my life has been richly blessed by sharing so many years, moments, and memories with Angie. Sometimes reminiscing with her is like turning the pages of your favorite book that spans across several decades. It's like your favorite, warm blanket and a cup of homemade cocoa. It is comfortable and comforting that someone has your same memories...the same pictures that play in your mind likes old movies. Unfortunately I can't time travel to the future to see if these friendships of my children will last as long as mine has, but watching and listening to these encounters come and go makes me hopeful for them. I know their lives will be nothing but enriched by these friendships reaching years, decades into their futures.

It was a good day...the beach and friends only made it better. Wonder what tomorrow will bring our way?