Last night my women friends took me out for a send-off dinner. We drank margaritas and ate Mexican food and talked over the same things we've been talking over for twenty years: marriage , children, illness, death, REmarriage, children, schools, expectations -- and the new topic: someone is going to seminary.
At the end of the evening they gave me a photograph of the whole group of us on one of our hidewaway cabin week-ends (excepting me, who apparently missed that particular year). Ten middle-aged women laughing into the camera -- they all look as fabulous and funny and smart and loving as they are. We all laughed some more as we imagined of what my -- ahem -- younger -- seminary classmates would ask about this motley crew of women old enough to be their mothers.
"I'll tell them," I said, "that they should be so lucky."
14 comments:
Gannet, I wish you wouldn't assume those of us who are younger would think anything but that this was a lucky group of women...Please don't anticipate judgement when some of us are so eager to love women old enough to be our mothers.
When Mr. M and I went to the beach last summer, there was a glorious group of older African-American women having a grand time at a really fabulous restaurant-- and I was jealous. I went over to their table to tell them how much fun it was just being in the same room with them, and they told me they've been vacationing together for the last 20 years. At the end of the night, the came over and asked me to take their picture. I felt honored just to have seen the relationships, and sad that my best friends are so scattered.
They are lucky; they're going to have the privilege of knowing, living, and working with you. And a few of them will also become your friends.
I found that when I went to seminary (in my 30s) I made friends with older, younger, and those my age. I don't know about where you are going, but those who go straight out of college to seminary are less common..everything from two years gap to 30-40.
you might be surprised.
I love you describing the group as:
"they all look as fabulous and funny and smart and loving as they are" --what a compliment, no matter what age you are! You and they will grow together in God as you journey together.
Oh, indeed, what a wonderful group to have. And, I found, like mrs. m says, that my younger seminary classmates (at least the women) we so cool. Of course so too were my seminary classmates my age and older! I hope you have a great class.
It IS fun having a group like that. I know you will cherish that picture - and be able to have more pictures with them in the future!
What a wonderful send-off.
And you are absolutely lucky to have them.
And I predict you will come out of this whole experience with a bunch more friends...of many ages.
When I tell my daughters about some of the things my "middle-aged friends" and I do and talk about, tehy say, "MOM!". Oh what a gift middle age can be! You go! We're all lovin' it!
Cindy (Leenora)
What great friends you have. I look forward to reading about your seminary experiences. Good luck and study hard.
There can be some interesting age dynamics at seminary, but I'm with Mrs. M. I would have known from looking at that picture how lucky you all are and would have been eager to hear all about them and you! I hope for you no bizzare first career/second career tensions (or third or fourth or fifth career...). They were a sad part of my first quarter in seminary. I was one of the youngest in my seminary classes, my friends upon graduating spanned many generations! And I am the richer for all of them.
Lovely send off! What a blessing to have such a great supportive group of friends. Like Diane, when I was in seminary (unlike Diane, I was in my 50's), there were classmates in their 30's, 40's and 60's, as well as a few with me in their 50's, as well as diversity in our ethnic backgrounds. So much richer experience that way. Hope you have the same diversity. And, really looking forward to reading your blogs as you enter this new phase of your journey.
When they see the picture, they will wish they had been there with the group. That would be my reaction.
Good luck in seminary experiences.
Thanks for all the comments! Mrs. M, I tried to leave you a response here right away but I guess Blogger ate it. Anyway, it was to the effect that all of our school and college friends are scattered to the winds, too. It has been one of the greatest delights of our lives that we found each other and developed such deep friendships starting when we were mothers of young children in our 30s and 40s.
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