Three of them met in grade one, two others joined the friendship in grade eight. Along with the younger sister of a missing link and four wives we met in Seattle this weekend.Too often we don’t take the time to celebrate the milestones. Only reuniting instead, at the funeral of a friend like that of our missing link nine years ago. His absence or maybe his imagined presence felt so strongly when we are all together.

We made sure to make time this weekend to accept the invitation and appreciate the efforts of the newest wife to bring us together to celebrate her husbands milestone birthday.

One of the wives and I were able to pick up where we left off twenty-five years ago.. Laughing at the grey hairs we have earned since we last shared a glass of wine. Those of us who weren’t there from the beginning have a friendship built on the shared joy of watching our husbands virtually shed forty years when they get together.                               

Secure in their love and mutual respect the teasing begins between our husbands. The familiar stories are told and retold. We all wait for our favorite story and its conclusion… “But Paul, why did you drive though zee vindow ?” Then we all laugh as if we haven’t heard it a thousand times.

I don’t leave our island very often and rarely willingly but we are so glad we were able to reunite with these friends. These friendships stand the test of time like a finely woven silk scarf. They are held together by

one strong thread