My Oldest Friend

In my last post I wrote about Shannon, a new friend I made in the past couple of years since moving to Arizona.

Today I'd like to introduce you to Cindy - my oldest (not as in age but in the years we've known one another) friend.  Cindy and I met 37 years ago when I moved from Marin County, CA to Nevada City, CA.  Nevada City is a sweet town in the Sierra Nevada foothills, less than an hour from Lake Tahoe.  It was a gold mining town back in the 1800's - the Gold Rush days.  The population when we lived there was around 3500 and it's not a whole lot more today.

Cindy and I were both stay at home moms and were so lucky to live next door to one another - though next door meant at least an acre of woods between us.  We lived on a small mountain known as Banner Mountain and it was beautifully forested with old abandoned gold mines dotted throughout, including on our properties.

My oldest son was 3 and Cindy's son was 4 when I moved there.  The boys immediately became best friends and spent endless hours together exploring the forest together.

Four years later, my husband, unfortunately, decided to change employers again, and back to Marin we went.  However, those 4 years were wonderful for not only Cindy and I, but or our boys as well.

Not shortly after we left Nevada City, Cindy and her son came to visit and there began many years of she and I driving back and forth to spend weekends together - both for us and the boys.  This continued for over 10 years; until the boys were off on their own with college and other adventures.

Cindy and I continued the round trips spending weekends together.  All those sleepovers brought us much closer than we would have been if we simply stayed neighbors. We celebrated our birthdays, holidays, took art classes, vacations both with the boys and without and had many funny escapades.

Since I am now in Arizona our visits are fewer, however, we do still see one another at least twice a year.  She is still one of my dearest friends and always will be.  There is no way to replace a friend like that.  Cindy has seen me through divorce, death, new marriages and more and I have been lucky enough to share with her, the marriages of her son and daughter, college graduation and the birth of her grandchildren.  There are far too many occasions to name.  She and I will be friends as long as we're alive and I consider myself so blessed to have her.
xo