When you’ve known and been friends with someone for a little over or under 35 years there’s a level of comfort that is mind blowingly amazing.  Throughout that much time we’ve gone to elementary, middle, & high school together, spent time with each other in college, and been through so many life events at each other’s side.  We’ve been through ups, downs, and sideways together and helped each other through all of those times.  Our sentences could be finished by each other.  The stories we share have become “our” stories and not just our own.  We are not just good friends, we are brothers.

The times we get together like this are such special moments.  It’s like time has been folded so that the gap between this and the last time we got together still happened, but in a flash as it also feels as if no time has passed between our visits.  From the first seconds we meet up we go right into our same routines.  Even the greeting from each person is the same as we pull each other in for huge bear hugs!  Once the greetings are complete we dive right back into our normal routine together, one that we’ve been developing for so many years.

As we pack up and prepare to leave from each visit there’s a sadness that our time together is wrapping up but also the joy of gratitude for the time we’ve had together.  There’s another big round of hugs as we’re all amazed at just how quickly the time we’ve had together has flown by (as it always seems to do).  As we all part ways my brain starts to quickly catalog all of the new memories and stories we’ve created together.  They are stories we’ll weave into conversation over the future visits we have together.

I am so thankful for my brothers from other mothers, the lifelong friendships we’ve built together are truly special and bring so much joy to my heart.

Thanks!!!