Old Friends, New Paths

She was one of my first good friends in school. Being the class outcast made finding and keeping good friends all the more important to me. In 4th grade Hannah and I were inseperable. It’s one of the few school years I can look back on and smile. In 6th grade I switched schools and as time went on I lost touch with Hannah. But she still was there at my bat mitzvah, as was my new friend Vashti. We all had lots of fun giggling and gossiping in the ladies room of the Airport Marritott hotel. Vash and Hannah wound up goign ot the same HS and were best friends there. It was a neat belding for me of best friends from different times in my life. And I stayed in touch with Hannah peripherially through Vash.

This continued through college. The three of us even ruinted in Maryland, along with a dozen or so more of my closest freinds from several different states, for the premeire of Star Wars: Episode One. So when Vash received an email from Hannah in december that she was engaged, she of course passed the happy news along to me. And when she received an invitation to the wedding she asked if I’d like to come along as her guest (Malcolm too. Vash is special so she coudl take two guests hehehe)

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as this weekend came closer I grew nervous. I hadn’t seen Hannah in 2 years and we hadn’t been close friends since years before that. Would I be out of place? In the car ride over — which consisted of her HS friends, me, and Malcolm — I learned that they hadn’t seen her in two years either. Guess not!

When we got to the church I knew I’d made the right decision. Hannah looked radiant in her wedding gown. I was glad to be there for her special day. And Hannah’s mother was so excited to see me. We gave each other a big hug. She was like a second mom to me growing up and I hadn’t seen her in over a decade.

Hannah’s changed a lot yet not a bit. Her maid of honor described Hannah’s kindness, caring, and giving and how her bubbly personality lights up a room. Still true after all these years.

When I got home I pulled an old polaroid off my wall of photos. Two 9 year old girls stood by a christmas tree, grinning from ear to ear. 13 years later the girls are all grown up. Each making their own path. I put the picture down and smiled.

I’m glad our paths met again.