circa late 1980s

This photo has been on display in one or another of my homes since it was taken in the California wine country somewhere around 1988 or 1989, I think. It looks ethereal because it’s a photo of a framed photo with reflective glass. But I’m sure you get the drift.

On the far right, MDS, the very first friend I made in California, way back in 1984. Just an amazing person and friend. She still looks youthful as ever and has been important to me and much loved since the day we met.

On the far left is her daughter, D, who was a teenager then and now is a mother of three. Her oldest is 14 years old, not much younger than D was in that photo. D. lives around the corner from me and in fact, found our house for us.

That’s right.

She kept telling me there was a house in her neighborhood that looked perfect for us and that we should see it. When we finally did see it, it took us five minutes to make an offer.

J. is in the white turtleneck. Her smile lights up a room and she’s still very youthful. Mom of two, stepmom of four, grandmother of…many. Too many to count. Can you tell that she, too is of Italian descent? 

Purple turtleneck? Yeah, that’s me in my 30s.  Don’t you just love all our curls? Fortunately, I came to my senses about my hair not long after this photo.

I have nothing profound to say about this photo, except that I remember the trip distinctly, even that we got totally lost going through Oakland, of all places.

Fact is, I don’t have many photos like this in my files, and it’s partly a result of never really rooting anywhere.  Albums got lost over the years and moves. (Long ago I discarded M and my wedding album and all our photos. I not only moved, I moved on. I never in a million years expected we’d remarry 30 years later. Don’t I wish I had those now!)

I moved away from my hometown when I was barely grown up and lost touch with my childhood friends. Still, I’ve remained close to a few friends for decades, and I love this reminder that people who go back that far are still in my life.

Do you have old friends you treasure?