Like No Time Had Passed

I had the best surprise yesterday.

One of my best friends from childhood was in town from Oklahoma to watch her daughter perform at the National Theatre and visit her son, who is interning on Capitol Hill. On a whim, she and her husband (along with three of their kids) decided to drive out to McLean.

It was crazy how it felt like no time had passed.

There is something really unique about friendships that begin during the innocence of childhood and somehow survive the awkward teenage years. It's a special bond—one that develops before you even realize you're making lifelong friends.

Carrie and I picked right back up where we left off.

Her kids were adorable. Her oldest son talked running with Bensten. Her younger son talked power washing with Boeden. And her sweet daughter immediately called dibs on the one Rocky Road cookie.

After they left, though, I found myself thinking about how different Carrie and I's childhood was from the one our kids are growing up in.

The night before their visit, we hosted the first stop of our swim team's progressive dinner. These kids spend almost every day together during the summer. They know each other well. While they aren't all best friends, they've shared years of practices, meets, and long summer evenings together.

Yet when I looked around Saturday night, almost every boy was on his phone. Most of the girls were huddled together on the other side of the house.

Technology has brought us so many incredible things.  But watching a room full of kids struggle to simply strike up conversations with one another made me a little sad.

Carrie and I laughed about walking to each other's houses during snowstorms or whenever one of our families lost power. Those moments didn't feel special at the time—they were just life.

Today, most people have generators, backup batteries, or at least a hotspot. We don't have nearly as many reasons to gather on someone else's couch just because the lights went out.

Man...I wish I could give my kids a childhood that looked a little more like mine.

I've certainly tried. But the world they are growing up in is simply different.

My hope is that thirty years from now, when one of their childhood friends calls out of the blue and says, "Hey, I'm in town," they'll open the front door without hesitation (despite not having showered!), invite them into their messy house, and discover that some friendships really can pick up exactly where they left off.

Because that's exactly how my heart felt yesterday. 

And if you ever find yourself in Carrie's position, call the old friend.

Carrie’s visit made my heart so happy! Truly the highlight of my week!

This week is a little wacky around here. I posted this week's menu Saturday afternoon, and the Funfetti sold out by Saturday evening! I thought about making more, but with Lance out of town and all of us heading to see Noah Kahan on Wednesday night, I'm trying to keep life as simple as possible.

Last I checked, we still have Carmelitas, Pop-Tart Bars, and I think a few loaves of challah left.

Have a great week!

xo,

Heather