This is my best friend since age 3. So 33 years. She lives far away, and is a teacher, so quarantining for visits just wasn’t possible during the pandemic. We saw her and her family for a few minutes last September when they delivered a farm truck to us, but this was our first real visit since March 2020.

The last time they visited, she made a special dinner for my birthday, and our families had plans for a mini vacation. That was back when we were just starting to understand the severity of the virus, and, of course, we canceled. We said goodbye that weekend, not knowing, like so many friends and family around the globe, that it would be well over a year before we could do all the things we took for granted. It was wonderful to hug her, and see her smile in person. She helped with the CSA herb harvest this week, and aside from listening to her try to remember lines from Scarborough Fair while picking parsley and sage, it was pretty great.

Planets truly aligned this week, and our other best friend, who lives out of state, was in town for a few days. A tree-toppling storm blew through minutes before she arrived, and it took several detours, but she finally found a passable route with her family.

Being together all the time was so natural as teenagers. We’re all married to our high school sweethearts, so all six of us have known each other since childhood. Watching our children play together is more like watching a movie than seeing real life.

With so many miles and years between those days, it was surreal to hear both of their voices in the same place. You just want to step outside yourself for a few moments, and listen to the sound. It’s so familiar, making your heart ache with something you don’t completely understand, and you can’t quite call it to mind when they’re gone.

~ Stella