It is 2006 and we are preparing for our 40th high school reunion. I'm excited as I always am and working with Gerry and the gang to make it a success.
I'm chatting on the phone with my Mom about many things...I call her frequently since my Dad passed away in 2005 and she is very lonely...she mentions that she ran into one of my classmates again at the retired teachers luncheon, that my Mom attends regularly to schmooze with her cronies.
Rather than the usual half-interested "uh-huhs" I give her, she really had my interest. She said, "You remember Donna Ruggerio Lish, right?" I said, "Of course I do, how is she? I always liked Donna." My Mom proceeded to share her conversation with me and for one of the first times in my life, I didn't mind my mother being nosy and pushy!
Donna told her that she wanted to put together a website that will showcase her artwork and my Mom piped up and told her that I design websites. From that point on, there was no turning back. Donna and I connected, after so many years, on a business level and then a personal level. Her website, for me, became a labor of friendship. Our BRHS Lunchroom friendship was rekindled.
We dragged our spouses to the reunion with the promise that they would be able to hang out with our friends' husbands and IT WOULD BE FUN FOR THEM TOO!
Donna said that Lynn Davis Lindner would be there with her husband and I was excited to see her again too and curious if we would all get along like we used to. It was wonderful.
Fast foward to early 2007...cold and snowy...My hubby and I travel to Vermont (not too difficult from Central Massachusetts) to spend a weekend with Donna and Richard in their A-Frame—it was a risk to do this with people we hardly knew..but what the heck, we survived the '60s, right?
Again, it was a great success and Donna said the next time we would do all 3 couples (Lynn and her hubby). Donna is a brave woman! But somehow, the chemistry was perfect and it was as though we had not skipped a beat since high school, but we just know more now.
Here it is the Spring of 2008 and our friendships continue. This time I insisted that the "girls" come visit me in New England—no men allowed. We went to a craft exhibit with our own personal guide (Donna), went out to eat, shopped and went to COLD STONE'S & Friendly's for wonderful ice cream.
I know these friendships (and more from BRHS-W) will not fade away (sounds like a Stones' song!) rather they continue to flourish as long as I open my heart to them!
Barbara Indeck Cowen
(Donna, Barb and Lynn)
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