Hanging out with the girls
I have known Gwen and Lisa for over 20 years. They were both students in Oregon and came to spend a year at the university of Poitiers where we met. The following year, partly inspired by their example, I took part in the same exchange and came to the University of Oregon, studying in the School of Journalism. I came for a year and ended up staying two years since it seemed silly not to finish my master’s, then a few more years since it seemed wasteful not to take advantage of the work visa available to graduating foreign students.
Through Maile, another American student who had also been in Poitiers, I met EJ on a rafting trip. Lisa was on that trip, but she missed our wedding because she had just had her first child. However, Gwen was there. Now she has two young boys of her own, the latest in that group of friends to join the motherhood club. Both of them have visited us in France and we have seen them regularly in Portland over our many visits here, no later than last summer with my parents. Though the tie comes from the moms, our kids and husbands get along very nicely whenever we spend time together.
But we had been talking for a long time about a girls’ weekend and we finally did it. They came down from Portland to spend the weekend in San Francisco where we invaded the apartment of my sister-in-law who was conveniently out of town. Long talks, long walks, drinks with a view, afternoon concert in a café, great French pastries and gourmet tacos, a little French culture with the Impressionists exhibit at the de Young museum, an impromptu movie: it was nice to feel 20 years younger with no responsibilities, no schedule and nobody else to worry about.
In other words, these two, and the missing Maile who recently moved cross-country, now qualify for the description of "some of my oldest friends". It takes time and energy to stay in touch, but we have always managed it, even before Facebook! And we did it again. And the good news is that women who have long-term friendships are supposed to live longer. So we should continue to meet in our old age if we know what is good for us.
kelloucq
le 06.12.10 à 23:03
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