Very recently I received a surprise e-mail. Someone sent me a Facebook friend request, which isn’t unusual in itself. But the name...now, that was more than unusual. It was a name I never thought I’d ever see again.
As I looked at that name, over 30 years rewinded for me in a millisecond. After the cloud of memory cleared from my eyes, I saw his photo in the e-mail message. Yes, those are his eyes, and that is his smile...I knew that face, even though he was 17 the last time I saw it.
With that Facebook request, an amazing journey began. One that few people are fortunate enough to take, and one I never expected in a million years.
We had spent several years riding a school bus together. We lived on the end of the route, so we talked a lot, every day. He sat on the high school side, and I sat on the grade school side, always under the constant vigilance of Clyde, our gruff, eagle-eyed bus driver. We talked about pretty much the same things most teens talked about in the 1970s...everything except that we liked each other. But my little pink diary was filled with thoughts on how much I liked him. He treated me like I was special, and important, and he imprinted a very positive, lifelong impression on my heart.
As happens, life moved on. Two innocent country kids began to grow up, and life parted us. He went off to college, and my family moved out of the area. Years flew by, lives lived, loves found and lost, good times, sad times and some confusing times, but not once in those years did our paths cross. Sure, I asked about him over the years, and when I started working on the Internet, I did a few searches. Nothing. I didn’t expect to find him...besides, he wouldn’t remember me. He was a senior and I was in junior high. I laughed at the thought that he’d ever remember my name.
Until Facebook. “How have you been, you may not remember me...rode that big old yellow school bus with you everyday... How is life??? Would be fun to catch up...”
He remembered me. Amazing. Staring at his strong, mature face, I still saw that boy. Those vibrant eyes and that charming smile. Seeing that name in my e-mail inbox seemed surreal. He just digitally dropped in, through time and space.
Honestly, I was a little nervous. Very happy to find that he remembered my name, but what was he like now? I’d had so many years of this wonderful set of memories entrenched in the fabric of who I am...would knowing who he grew up to be shatter those treasured memories? Would it just be better to keep the memories protected, keep that young girl’s crush safe from reality? That seriously crossed my mind...
However, I need life to be real. I’m a “face it head on and deal with it” person and I need to know truths, not live with pretty illusions...besides, I have an extremely curious nature. So, I clicked to accept this old friend from the past into my current life.
My reply e-mail was probably a lot of babble. I felt a little sorry for him having to read it; must have been pretty silly. The little girl from the past wanted to write all sorts of things, but I kept telling myself, don’t sound like an idiot, don’t say too much, let him tell you some things first...
He wrote back right away. I read his e-mail with a feeling that this isn’t real. This can’t be...but it is. It’s HIM.
For several days we exchanged e-mails, each more fun. They were filled with memories of a hometown, a valley, that we both adore. Catching up on family and friends, where we are in our lives. E-mails filled with humor and cherished, shared memories went on to become chats with more up to date information. We revealed some of our lives, and remarkably, there was no discomfort or uneasiness. We were not two strangers; after all this time, in God's plan, we were never meant to be strangers.
From chats, we crossed over to real life... and one evening the phone rang. I’m telling you, seeing his name on my caller ID, the complete surreal quality hit me again. HIS name and number on my phone. I nervously and excitedly picked up the phone, and I heard his voice. Even though he had a cold, there was a familiarity that settled right in...or was it already established from the chats and e-mails...or from time itself? I don’t know, but we had a laugh-filled call that seemed to mix time and reality in an amazing way. To speak to a childhood sweetheart after all those years...to find out your affection had been returned, and to not feel awkward about it...it was just amazing. (I think I’ve worn out that word!)
We’ve only just been reintroduced, and we are learning about each other’s lives and loves, past and present...and I realized that the relationship we formed in childhood had been one of friendship. A friendship that started in one decade and patiently waited through many decades, to arrive rich and full.
This reunion is a treasured time of my life. Whether we stay in contact, or life separates us yet again, the little girl now knows that boy felt the same way about her...and the woman knows the man is a good friend.
Life is remarkable...simply amazing.
January 25, 2010
January 3, 2010
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, wealthy and wise 2010!
Until I can take the time to be more verbose and pop out some pretty prose, here's a photo of "my girl," Dixie-Doo. She's been home for one year and four days now. We had a swell Christmas and "Welcome Home anniversary," and here's a photo of her smiling contentedly...yes, really, that is a smile curling those little beagly lips!
Happy new year, with wishes and prayers that it's a great one for us all!
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