I’ve had the privilege of reconnecting with two old friends this week. I was asked to speak at a retreat, and I knew my friend from high school lived nearby, so I texted. It was lovely reconnecting and talking over coffee and breakfast. Twenty plus years seemed like a moment since we first became friends in high school. We commiserated over our bodies being uncooperative but joked and interacted like we did at seventeen—just with a little more wisdom under our belts.
The second friend traveled nine hours to stay with me. We first met the summer after high school as summer staffers at Ridgecrest Conference Center. We clicked instantly, and we’ve remained in contact for the last twenty plus years. When she lived in southern Tennessee, we made sure to visit when we traveled there. She’s seen my kids grow up, and we’ve stayed connected through occasional talks and visits. We joke that we are in a “reel”-ationship because we send each other random Facebook and Instagram reels all the time. It’s wonderful knowing someone whose sense of humor is as unique as mine.