Memories

I got the chance to spend some time with my two oldest friends, Michelle and Rachael, this last Saturday and it brought back a few memories. It has probably been several years since I have been with them both at the same time. I've known these girls since I was 4, Rachael was 3, and Michelle was 5. Their family lived across the street from mine in West Jordan. After about 25 years in that neighborhood my mom moved to Sugarhouse and their parents moved to Erda- truly the end of an era.

Rachael is married with 4 little ones and Michelle is getting married in just a few short weeks. It's so comforting to feel such a strong connection to the past. There are so many people who have been a part of my life in one way or another that I know I will never see or cross paths with again. Those parts of my past seem to fade away. Seeing old friends like Michelle and Rachael, even if it's not very often, seems to refresh my memories and keep them alive: The "drug free club", selling candy we'd bought at the Holiday Oil in front of my house for a 5 cent mark-up, playing every sport possible with the sports fanatic boys who lived next door, riding our bikes up the dirt hill, decorating the whole house in ribbons to make a My Little Pony castle, and a million more, of course.

Me, Rachael, Michelle

In 1989 my parents got brave enough to take my two friends to our Flaming Gorge cabin for the weekend. You gotta love how all three of us are wearing those horrid pleated pants that were so popular back then.

Even back then we were total babes.

The weekend we took them to the cabin we were visited by a black bear who walked along the railings, eating little pieces of pancake we had left out for the birds and chewing on the corners of our American flag. If I remember correctly Rachael was pretty scared.

It's always nice to be re-visited by such fond memories.