Treasures Found

{bandy and me circa: 1985ish}

in january, my mom and i traveled to my home town in texas.

we wanted to laugh with old friends.

and, that is just what we did.

we had not been there for ten years.

and, some people we had not seen in twenty-five years.
every time we showed up on a doorstep, i felt like i was finding a long lost treasure.

most of the friends we saw, we had contacted ahead of time.

we had some preset dinner dates, lunch dates, etc.

i loved laughing with...

my aunt and uncle over lunch...

my mom's friends over dinner...

and nonstop with my friend, tiffany.

{i was with her for nine hours and loved every second. she was just as i remembered...genuine, sincere, sweet, funny...a dear friend}.

{brandy and me circa: 1985ish}

some reunions were a complete surprise...

after spending a day with my aunt and uncle, we decided to take back roads to where i grew up. we saw my old house and the old lucas food mart. i suggested we cruise through another close neighborhood where we knew several people.  as we were driving along i said, "i think that is brandy's house".  my mom stopped the car and said, "go ring the doorbell". my stomach dropped. i didn't know if they still lived there. if they did, would they remember be? would it be a happy reunion? although it had been 25 years since i graduated high school, she and i had drifted apart years before. then, i saw a sign. an actual sign with their last name on it. so, with my heart beating fast, i rang the door bell. the woman opened the door with a smile on her face asking if she could help me. i just looked at her and said, "it really is you". i told her who i was and i was immediately greeted with a hug and tears. she quickly filled me in on my long lost friend and said she would pass along my information.

hours later, back at our hotel, i received a text with a happy hello and when could we meet. we made plans to meet early the next morning. {this was an unexpected visit and my mom and i were getting ourselves pretty booked}.

i woke up the next morning at 4. i could not go back to sleep. i was excited and nervous. we were inseparable during our latter elementary and middle school years but, we drifted apart during high school. why? what happened? had i done anything? was i mean to her? i racked my brain trying to remember what happened. nothing came to me. so, i went for a run, got dressed and headed her way.

she met me outside with a smile and warm hug. oh! it was so good to see her. she looks exactly the same. we sat in her childhood home and visited with her parents. {they are just the same too}. we caught up as much as we could with my limited time. she is doing well and seems genuinely happy. she has traveled the world and done so many things. whatever trials and tribulations she has gone through are behind her. she is peaceful.

when we were saying goodbyes, i asked what happened in high school. had i done anything to hurt her? she assured me that nothing happened. she was going through things that i didn't know about and we just went different ways. she said, "when you were going through everything our senior year with your parents {divorcing}, i wanted to give you a big hug and tell you i was sorry".  i guess we both wanted to reach out but, didn't. i'm not sure why that happens...

it has been so much fun reconnecting. sharing pictures and "remember whens".  it's like we never lost those twenty five plus years. {just so much to tell each other}! true friends really do stand the test of time.

finding these lost treasure is such a gift. i find myself thinking of them throughout the day...sending a quick hello via text or email. 
they have crossed my mind so often over the years...wondering what and how they are doing. it is such a comfort to have seen their happiness and smiles and to hear their laughter. {especially, my mom's crazy friends...they have aged gracefully with tons of laughter}.

you go through life and think your heart is full with friends and family. but then, you travel back in time and find those lost treasures that once filled your heart. they fit right back in the little pockets where they once resided and your heart is suddenly bursting with sunshine.