Today, I had lunch with the Gomes'. They lived in my neighborhood in Pittsburgh and went to church with us. Me and Julie used to go to their house in the summer and play Risk. For hours. For daaaaays! She'd bring us bundt cakes on our birthdays and sometimes bring one just for Family Home Evening. We'd make fun of her because she said "dollars" funny. She'd walk her Great Dane, Chester by our hosue and let us pet him. Her boys would swim in our pool and jump on the trampoline. We had cookouts together. She knew me during that awkward (and horrendously ugly) teenage stage everyone (but Andi) goes through. She was at Girls Camp with me. She sent me money when I graduated. She used to wear a pretty navy blue dress to church with a big sunflower barrette. I left home, grew up, and Facebook was invented. We've been playing Words with Friends for a few months now. Not the same game obviously. She's really hard to beat, by the way. She mentioned she was close to my town today and I casually mentioned we should meet up. And you know? She made it happen. That meant so much to me. We all met for lunch at Caputo's. Me, Koley, Joey, Sister Gomes, and Brother Gomes. All there. It felt so good to see them I cried. I tried internally blaming it on the post-pardum hormones... but in all seriousness I was just overjoyed. She and her husband bought me lunch (and bought Koley a HUGE chocolate chip cookie), they hugged me, they loved on my kids, they helped me pack up the car. I felt like I was living on Caryl Drive again.
And, today, when I was driving home I thought, She helped shape my life. She helped me become me. That's powerful. And a little heavy for this here blog.
They are good good people.
And it was good good good to be with them today.
6 comments:
I remember her, she is great!!!! It is great meeting up with people you haven't seen in years. Pat, I miss you!
That is really so cool. They seem like amazing people. How fun you got to hang out with them!
That is really so cool. They seem like amazing people. How fun you got to hang out with them!
I liked what you said about old friends helping us feel like ourselves. It's about them knowing us before we were who we are today. And we've all changed. They're sweet reminders of who we really are! Great to see both of them!
Something about reconnecting brings us all full circle. I had the same moment when I went to the wedding last weekend and went up to NH with my oldest girlfriend, sans children the night before.
It was fabulous!
That is awesome Patty. I am so glad you got to spend time with them. I must have post partem blues today. I read these blogs and I can't quit crying. Your little ones are getting so big. Where does time go!
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