In the most unlikely of places, a friend's memorial service, I had an epiphany of sorts. As I looked around at the gathering of friends and former colleagues it occurred to me how blessed I am, once again. I realized that in part due to my chosen profession (teaching) I have friendships with people of all ages. Friendship is a beautiful and cherished part of my life and I think it's just plain cool to have friends in their 20s as well as in their 70s. In education we preach "lifelong learning" all the time. I think having friends, and nurturing those friendships is part of that lifelong learning experience. I learn from my friends all the time. I take from them so much - their thoughts, their opinions, their valuable life experiences.
As a recent retiree, I am the "baby" of our retirees group. I love being part of a group of women who dedicated their lives to helping kids learn. Now I continue to learn during the time I spend with them. We have all grieved recent losses together lately, as well as worrying about and praying for another friend who has been seriously injured in a horrific car accident. Together we learn from one another's life experiences and it bonds us even more. Sure, we might not be "best buddies" but we are friends, and I know that they will be there for me when I need them most.
My young friends keep me in touch with the younger person I used to be. I love living vicariously through them as they experience life's treasured moments - new boyfriend/girlfriend, getting engaged, a wedding, pregnancy, and even loss. I only hope that they can turn to me when they need the "voice of experience" on their side. And I hope that one day they will have the same epihipany that I did because it is a beautiful thing to realize - friendship transcends age.
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