Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Old Friends

I grew up on Hanging Moss Circle. Next door to us was a family with 5 boys. The youngest was my age and the next oldest was just one year older. They all played baseball, ran track, were all good athletes. Sam & Thomas & I were buddies from the time I was 3 years old until we went off to separate colleges. Their dad always scared me when I was little. I don't know why.

Tonight, I noticed 2 men come in together. They stood off to the side and every time I looked their way, they were looking at me. I went over to them and the tallest told me his name. It was my old buddy Sam. I picked the wrong older brother's name, but I had never been really close to any of the older 3 when I was a kid. We had been talking a few minutes, when I recognized their dad coming in with Thomas, who is one year older than me. Those 2 I picked out right away. I spent just about the rest of the night talking to these men from my past. We remembered so many of the same events from our childhoods.

On the way to the funeral home this afternoon, I had started to feel sick. I was dreading this ordeal. But the reality was so different. I got to see my uncles, probably for the last time after tomorrow. They live so far away and now have no one to bring them back here. I reconnected with the first friends I ever had and hadn't seen in over 25 years. I feel much better about facing tomorrow.

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