In July 2024, I wrote a post entitled Old Friends, or "How Terribly Strange to Be Seventy" * - about a brief visit then from friends of mine (a married couple) from Karlstad (where I lived back in my 20s), whom I then hadn't seen IRL for 38 years. This past weekend they happened to be visiting Borås again - this time to attend a big national family history research society event, at which one of their daughters was one of the speakers.
M informed me of this in good time, and expressed hopes of us being able to meet up for a while in connection with this as well. While the event was still vaguely "in the future" I had half in mind to perhaps try to attend part of it myself. But as it got closer and I understood how big an event it was (held at a large event center, and with pre-bookings for lectures etc), I realised I didn't really feel I had enough energy for that. Luckily M+K proved more "flexible" than me. So instead of us meeting up briefly in a crowd, they stopped by to visit me at home for a while on Sunday (late) morning, before starting their drive back home. And as then there were no other "distractions", we again had a good catching-up chat both about family history, our own current situations, and mutual old memories and friends.
And on top of that, they came bringing a lovely bouquet of roses (photo above), wishing me happy (71st) birthday a week in advance! :)
The flowers are beautiful. They look like a fun couple. I always called this song "Bookends" Whatever you call it, it is a gorgeous and rather sad song.
ReplyDeleteGinny, the song title is "Old Friends" but it is on the album Bookends, and starts with the phrase "old friends sat on their park bench like bookends", and is also followed by/merged with the "Bookends Theme".
DeleteYes, it is strange to be seventy. Actually, I turned 69 on Saturday and can't believe that I've got this old. And isn't lovely to visit with those who knew you when you were young and still had all that life yet to live. Glad you got to catch up with them. The flowers are beautiful. Happy Birthday.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa. Yes, time behaves strangely sometimes when meeting with old friends, doesn't it. Together you can conjure up the past and yet at the same time be at least "half" aware of the wide time gap between then and now... ;)
DeleteHow lovely of them to visit and to bring roses too. Happy Birthday for whenever that day is.
ReplyDeleteRiver, it's on Saturday this week. If all goes to plan I'll be spending it with my brother who will be coming down for a few days.
DeleteA touching account of enduring friendship, beautifully illustrating how the passage of decades can never diminish the warmth of shared memories and genuine affection.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ro. We managed to cover a lot during the 1+ hour we had. I suppose it helps a bit that in later years we've also been in touch on Facebook, even if neither of us writes all that much there.
DeleteIt is very nice that your friends came visiting and brought such gorgeous flowers! Much, much better than a rushed meeting at the rim of a large event.
ReplyDeleteMeike, I can only agree. And at least for me, also better than the original suggestion, which was meeting at some café in town on Friday afternoon...
DeleteIt's always fun to catch up with old friends, the roses are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Poppy. After a long hot summer of not having the energy to "do" all that much, it felt quite refreshing. :)
DeleteI find as I get older that I want to meet up with old friends more and more. I don't know whether it's because I'm clinging onto the past or because I know time is running out to see them in the future.
ReplyDeleteAddy, I think our relationship to Time changes as we grow older. When we're young, I'd say we tend to spend more time planning and looking forward... While in our old age, we tend to look back and try to sum things up and "make sense of it" ... ;)
DeleteHappy birthday for your special day, the roses are beautiful, have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy. Now I'm looking forward to a bit of time with my brother who will be coming down for a few days around my birthday.
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