How do you put a value on friendship? #032

Celebrating 60

I spent last weekend with 5 old school friends celebrating us all turning 60. It doesn’t take a mathematician to work out we’ve known each other for a very long time…

We met in Sitges, just south of Barcelona.  A weekend of sun and fun guaranteed.  Or so we’d imagined.  In reality, the sun was fleeting, a mere few hours in the whole 3 days. Our anticipated sun bathing replaced by rain sheltering.

We reminisced over bottles of rioja.  Laughing over past boyfriend choices, holidays, our AGMs (AKA our annual get togethers, the occasional EGM thrown in for good measure) and our legendary body boarding jaunts at our local beaches, Saunton and Croyde.  Pure joy.

We caught up on local gossip, our ailments (!) and gawped at the full on Gay man scene that reflects a large part of Sitges nightlife - men of all ages, having or searching for fun.  Just like us, yet different 😉.

We remembered our friend Denise, who we lost to breast cancer when we were in our early 30s.  A loss which cemented our bonds, were they ever in doubt.

My dear friend Moira had bought us all ‘Sixty and fabulous’ T Shirts, a kind thought for sure, even if we only wore them once on the beach (that short bit of sun I mentioned) for a photograph assuring each other that we’ve ‘still got it’!

Reflections

Four nights is a long time. I couldn’t help observing how we’ve evolved since we were teenagers together in Barnstaple, North Devon.

We all love each over to bits, yet we’re not the same young women who played on the school netball team, got tipsy on rough cider (a local delicacy…) or hung out in our college refectory eating cheesy chips, singing Golden Brown and Rocking the Casbah.

Some moved away, some stayed in North Devon.  Most got married, some have remained so.  A few had children and now enjoy grandchildren, most, for a variety of reasons, are Aunties instead.

We know each other’s parents and siblings. Some still have the former, fortunately all the latter, even if sibling relationships are not always close.

The gift

Our time together was special.  Not because it was perfect.  It wasn’t.  Not helped by the inclement weather.  Nor by our frequent bouts of indecision about what to do, where to go and what to eat; unsurprisingly we have differing ideas of the ideal café, bar or restaurant driven by preference, budget and personal value assessments.

I guess we’ve all been shaped by our post school experiences, interests and choices.

In all probability, if we met now, we might not naturally be drawn to each other.

However, I have zero doubt we will be lifelong friends and will always be there for each other.  A priceless gift for which I feel extremely grateful and lucky.  Not everyone gets to experience such love and friendship.

You

How about you, who do you keep in touch with from your distant past? 

Have any friendships slipped?  It’s easily done, and often that’s all right.  But if something feels awry, why not drop that friend a message, or pick up the phone? 

Afterall, you’re never going to be any younger than you are today, what are you waiting for?

Until next time my friends

Ruth x