Thirty Years

My friend and I celebrated our 30thannual “girls get-away” this week. We were more like girls when we took our first trip together in 1989, to Seattle. We didn’t know then that this tradition would continue thirty years, without missing a year.

A rabbit sculpture on a river walk along the Mississippi.
Rabbit up close…photo by FR.

She lives in Indiana, I live in Minnesota and at least once a year we get together to catch up on life. We always have a great time; we share stories of our sons (and now grandchildren) and bring each other up to date on our lives, while shopping thrift stores and antique shops, strolling along a river (or being near some type of water), and visiting botanical gardens and/or garden centers. Those activities make up our criteria for where we meet.

A wonderful flower pot in a store front.

We met 37 years ago at church during greeting time (she lived in Minnesota at that time.) I had an infant and she was pregnant with her first child. After her son was born I offered to bring her lunch. I brought tuna fish sandwiches in a brown paper bag! But, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. On almost every trip someone asks if we are sisters…and we have begun to say yes.  

May 2019. The Mississippi is to the left.

We were near the Mississippi River this year and the spring greens and blooming trees were spectacular.

Vibrant spring greens.
Brilliant colorful blooming trees.
A train rolling on tracks along the Mississippi River.
Out the window of a restaurant where we ate dinner one evening.
My attempt to capture the beauty and perspective of this sweeping view of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
We enjoyed sitting on a bench along the river at twilight…this robin stayed with us, first on the ground and then in the tree.

6 thoughts on “Thirty Years”

  1. A friend like that is truly one of God’s wonderful gifts. You chose another beautiful place to spend time together😍

  2. What a blessing a friendship like this continues! I have had four good friends since 1971- we were all in our early 20’s and lived in Mpls & suburbs. We see each other every 2-3 years for a long weekend. One lives in Maryland, one in Colorado and the rest of us in Mpls. What great fun we have I remember hearing of this dear friend of yours and your get togethers. May you be able to do this for many years to come!

    1. That’s 15 years earlier then I when I met my friend. It’s wonderful that you have maintained connections after all these years.

  3. What a blessing to have a wonderful friend that you can be with even though you live apart. How do we get through life without our dear friends?

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