38 or 40….

Thirty eight years ago my dear hubby and I were in a wedding.  He was the best man and I was matron of honor (I was an old married woman of six months).  It was a very hot and humid day in northwestern Pennsylvania.  Being the mid 70’s the bride wore a high collared, long sleeve, poufy meringue gown that held heat in and must have acted like a sauna for the entire day.  Personally, I was cooler in my pink dotted swiss poufy gown with a matching big rimmed hat and streamers down my back… I think my friend watched Gone With the Wind way too much…  Hubby looked dashing in his white tuxedo with his pink ruffled shirt.  Yes, those pictures are fun to look at now…

This couple we had history with.  I have known the bride since kindergarten.  She had been to my birthday parties and I had been to hers.  In high school we became best friends.  We did everything together.  We would spend sleepovers and then go home and call each other.  I went on her first date with her and the man who became her husband.  ( I was dating someone else at the time).  They introduced me to my husband.  We double dated and had many adventures together.

They are godparents to our oldest daughter.  We still spend time together, although, not as much as we once did since we live in different parts of the country.

Today, on Facebook, she posted some memories of that day.  She mentioned the heat and how the hall had no air-conditioning and her wedding cake leaning like Pisa.  She fondly remembered it.  That reminded me of how she actually acted that day (which she has forgotten).  She touched my arm (she felt like she was on fire, the poor thing was so warm) and bemoaned the fact that her aunt had made her cake and look how ugly it looks with it leaning like that.  It did look a sight with each layer a different shade of pastel and the top layer starting to be parallel to the cake table.    But, I tried to tell her it was beautiful and no one would notice.

In hindsight, all things become humorous.  We were married in a blizzard, people threw snowballs at us.  But, me being me, thought that was pretty funny anyhow.  My friend fondly remembering heat that not only melted cakes, but people as well.  Time polishes things that seem so rough when they are happening.

This July we will spend a couple of nights with this couple.  We will laugh and the guys will tell the same old jokes and stories and we will laugh until we cry.  We will talk of family and cry some more.  We will try to out boast each other with  stories of grandchildren.  They will win only because they have seven and we have one.  The victor will be because of quantity not quality.   It will be a nice time to spend together.  Memories will come and be shared and it will be good to have our history relived through the older eyes of those we have known since we were young.

The reason we will be able to see this couple is that 40 years ago, I graduated from high school.  Our reunion is happening.  Thanks to Facebook I have had the experience of ‘meeting’ people I graduated with.  Two of my friends that I communicate with regularly on Facebook are going to the reunion.  It will be nice to meet them.  I say meet them because in high school they were in a much different clique than me.  They were the popular girls and through a series of mishaps we started talking to one another and discovered we had much in common and we are now anxious to see one another and put a real person to the Facebook page.   I confess there is a part of me that is a bit nervous on meeting them.  This is because even though the years have passed, age has happened and gravity has taken its toll on our bodies, I still see them in their color guard uniforms twirling and spinning and looking so beautiful.  I still remember them on the prom courts with their gowns and handsome escorts.  I see them as they were.  They are more fortunate because they don’t remember me at all.  This is an advantage, I think.

Anyhow, in preparation for the reunion, hubby and I are trying to lose a few pounds.  After all, you have to do something, right?   Going back in time is good.  It is good to see where you have come from.  It is good to see what you have survived, with grace.  It is good to see where we are now, who we are now.  It is also a good motivation to get into better shape.

So, today, I sit here.  Remembering a wedding so long ago.  Remembering friends and how we have grown up.  I look forward to seeing them and I look forward to the reunion, sort of…

Thanks for stopping by today and listening to my ramblings.  I appreciate your visits.  DAF

 

 

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