European Friends

There is something about them. They make me smile and laugh, wonder and ponder.
They challenge me in a way no others can. They stretch my mind and make me think. Are there other ways better than ours? Our American ways? Are there ideas out there--inventions, concepts, theories, and beliefs that compete with my own? And why, for so many years, did I or do I now think that everything smart and inventive comes from my country?  Why?

These are some of the things I think about when I am with them. As I stroll through boutiques, as I meander through long boulevards, as I sit in cafes or bistros, these are the things I ponder. Small thoughts infiltrate my mind — even as I listen to their funny stories — these are the questions and thoughts that float through my head.

I sit, smile, and share stories, too. I laugh and tease and tell funny jokes, and all the while my little brain is working overtime. Trying hard to figure out the cultures and customs of my friends. My European friends — I love being with them. They are very different from me and yet so similar. And each year, as I can travel or they can travel here, I make new friends and cheerfully add them to my entourage.

Sometimes, while we are sharing a meal, I look around the table and intently watch each one as they tell a story or share a joke — they make me feel so warm inside.  They are such great friends. We only get together every year or so, and sometimes even 3 or 4 years go by without seeing each other; however, we always pick up right where we left off.  Yes, things change — but usually for the better. Some have started their new little families, some are getting ready to let theirs go, some are new grandmothers, some are just like me.

I always get so nostalgic when they leave me, or I leave them — these friends of mine, I miss them so. And even though we are separated by hundreds if not thousands of miles--we are close. We have our laptops, iPads, and iPhones with text messaging.  Modern technology is allowing us to maintain our long-distance relationships. We can share photos of our families, vacations, and holidays.  We can make our plans for the next big get-together — even though sometimes we have no idea when it will take place or who will be there. We can still make plans. Yes, in our hearts, we can still make those plans to be together once again. To laugh, talk, and share our hearts and lives.

Them--those faraway friends--whom I love so much.