Slice of Life: Friends Old and New

All week I have been singing girl scout songs.
Or actually only one girl scout song.
Make new friends, but keep the old,
one is silver and the other's gold. 

The first weekend in February
is always a silver and gold time for me. 
it's our state reading conference.
A time of rich learning,
professional renewal
but now
as i get closer to the end of my career
also a time
when friends and acquaintances
 from the last 25 years
a million previous worlds-
schools, university teaching, involvement in the state reading association-
collide and intersect…

Wednesday.
I finish my after school program responsibiliities at 4:00.
Do a reading test for a a child who is just entering our school
Enlist the aid of three middle school hanger-arounders to unload 25 boxes from the back of my car.
Replace those boxes with two cartons of picture books
and my computer bag
then dash to the airport
to meet one of my dearest, dearest friends.
she is in town for 36 hours
after a way-too-long separation
and I am not going to miss a minute.
JoAnn is not in the car for five minutes
before I remember
how much I have missed her.
No one can celebrate an ordinary moment
A lavender scarf
an upcoming noreaster
a good story
like this
sister of my heart.
 No one can listen more deeply
ask better questions
probe more thoughtfully
than this sister of my heart.
For 24 hours
I gulp and gulp and gulp
drink greedily
at the well of our friendship.
I know that it will be a long time
maybe even years
before I see her again.

Thursday morning
I am trudging across the lobby, lugging my bulging computer bag.
A woman is walking the opposite direction.
We make eye contact, briefly, then again.
"Carol?" she says tentatively. 
We have never met, at least not face-to-face,
but right away, I know who she is.
It is Linda,
teacherdance,
a dear friend
and most faithful commenter from the blogosphere.
Although we live in the same town
(actually within ten minutes of each other)
we have never met in person before
one time
we were even in the same room
at an author signing
at Tattered Cover
but we didn't know it
until she posted pictures of an author signing
on her slice the next week.
 Linda has read and commented on a million stories about my boys.
I have admired her
immense courage
as she has moved into a new home,
and begun adjusting to a  life
that she might not have chosen.
 This time
we recognize each other.
We stand and chat in the lobby
Once and then again later
I know there will other times
for deeper, richer conversations,
but it is so fun to
finally meet this
new old friend
face to face.

Make new friends, but keep the old,
one is silver and the other's gold. 
What a rich woman I am.