I made this necklace and earring set today for my longest friend Linda. She is turning 65. She is older than me by 4 months, and we have been friends for 63 years, since our parents moved in next to each other in 1950 in Arlington Virginia.
The jewelry is also my offering for today’s Art Every Day Month.
She lives in California now, and doesn’t read blogs or Facebook so I am totally safe posting this here ahead of time.
We have lots of stories together and when we were very young we were always together.
I am very grateful for this friendship – things move around so much these days I wonder if anyone has this anymore. Our love for each other caused us both, at a very young age, to question what our Churches (she Southern Baptist and I Catholic) were telling us about heaven and who gets there. And later to both move away from organized religion into a spirituality that we share even though we came to it after she moved to the West Coast.
At around 11 I saw a ritual of blood brothers on TV and so we cut our palms, became blood
sisters and buried favorite treasures to seal our pact. Even though we really weren’t aware of what we were doing, we are both convinced that pact created a bond that is unbreakable.
She sent me Women Who Run with the Wolves in 1994 for my birthday. I really wanted that book but was on book buying hiatus as a new year’s resolution. I didn’t tell anyone that and then there it was in the mail for my birthday. Later, she sent me The Feminine Face of God which introduced me to a non-statistical way of doing surveys that helped me greatly when I was working on my Master’s degree.
Our husbands (2nd marriages for both of us) share the same birthday (different years).
She is a 6 year survivor of Stage III ovarian cancer.
She is my best and longest friend (because she prefers I don’t say “my oldest friend.” Even though she is older than me.)
She shares memories of my parents that only she and some of her family share – because I am an only child.
So today I made her gift with love and in time to get it to her (she’ll have my Christmas presents in the mail the first week after Thanksgiving – she is the most organized
person I know). And I will send her the link for this post on her birthday.
Come join in the party!
Happy Birthday Gay-Gay! I love you!
9 Comments
I have a longest friend, too–56 years now–since I moved in next door when I was five. We both separately went the spiritual route when we lost touch for a few years. Reconnected and it has bonded us even closer. She’s a survivor of brain cancer. We’re both highly organized and creative. There is nothing like a friend who knew you when. The jewelry is beautiful and I am sure she will love it!! Loved the pics!! What a wonderful post. I am happy for the both of you. 🙂 🙂
Patty – mailed her gift yesterday. She’ll open it when she gets it. This way I still have something to give her on her day!
Bad News – shhhh. Don’t tell! And, oh my – we didn’t *really* terrorize you…but that’s my side of the story!
This is so touching, Tammy. What a gift to have this long-standing friendship. I think you’re right that it’s very rare these days.
Gay Gay would be so happy to see this. A really sweet memoir. Only thing missing is a picture of when the two of you terrorized me as a child. Anyhow, thanks for sharing.
Wow…friendship like that is a blessing. Hugs xx
Sixty-three years of friendship…that is truly wonderful. I loved the memories you shared with us. I know there are volumes more! Happy Birthday, Linda!
Ginger – it makes ME smile real big and I wrote it! It’s just one of those stories. =)
What a blessing to have a friend like that. And even more wonderful that you both value each other so highly. Thank you for sharing the story. It made me smile so big.