Day 8 (of 31 days of free writing)

The old Girl Scout song we used to sing went,
“Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.”
This month two old friends are celebrating their birthdays. It’s a big one that ends in a zero. We are older now than we ever expected to be. Years ago I drifted away from letter writing. Now I email greeting cards, or send a text message. For these old friends I want more. I want a conversation. I want to hear their voices again. We now live far apart and we haven’t seen each other in a very long time. Before I even dial the number I know part of the conversation will be about how our calendars are full of medical appointments and, how we can no longer do some of the things we used to do. It will also be about music, travel, ways we are caring for other friends or family and, the things that matter now that we are old.