From Way Back When

I may not surround myself with a ton of friends on a daily basis, but I do feel deep connections with a number of people (both female and male) dating back to junior high with whom I still keep in touch. We may not see each other all the time, but they are always in my heart and thoughts. When I do have the opportunity to reconnect with them, it makes it that much more special. And now, getting to share them with Lauren? Surreal, in nothing but the best way. We had the opportunity to catch up with two groups of friends recently. First up were college friends Nancy and Vered. Nancy comes out with her kids every so often to visit her parents in Los Angeles (remember the tree climbing post?) It just so happened that one weekend while Nancy was out here, Vered also was vacationing from Maryland. It's been over 5 years since either Nanc or I had seen Vered, so we moved mountains to ensure the reunion took place. On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, we met up at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, where Vered was staying, for a little rooftop pool swimming and lounging (not to mention free foot massages from the poolside staff). Lauren was in heaven while playing with Nancy's daughter Sophie, and clowning around with sons Daniel and Jack, while us grown-up gals chatted and caught up. After an afternoon of sun, Vered, Lauren and I headed to the heart of Beverly Hills for dinner. Lauren and Vered sang Hebrew songs to each other and I sat there pretending to understand. Back up to Vered's luxurious room after dinner, Lauren did her best Juliet impression (on the Juliet balcony of course). The following weekend, two of my closest friends from junior high and high school came over for drinks and appetizers. Donna, Shayna and I have been through so much over the years. It's been a year since our last girls' night in, but it seemed as if no time at all had passed. Since Lauren had never spent time with either one of them, she joined us half-way through our guacamole and sushi fest (no, we weren't eating them at the same time, merely in quick succession), and proceeded to thoroughly entertain us with her singing, dancing, and typical brand of merriment. Good friends are so important. I feel very fortunate to have people in my life who support me, no matter what, and with whom I can let my guard down and just be myself. More than that, I loved sharing these amazing women, who have known me for so very long, with Lauren.