Settling In

There are a handful of people I’ve met through life that I know will be with me for life. Friends that are truly kindred spirits. People that just get me in every possible way. And I’ve had periods with every single one of them where we didn’t talk very often, even lost touch for months or years. But when we re-connect it’s as if we had just talked yesterday. I’m so thoroughly grateful for these people whether I really have talked to them yesterday or not.

I got to have lunch with B today. I haven’t seen him since I was pregnant with The Boy. He’s lived in three states since I saw him last. He and his wife had a baby girl (who is gorgeous and looks just like him) not too long after we had The Boy. They’ve lived in four different houses. Life has been up and down with lots of change. But he looks exactly the same. And I just can’t tell you how wonderful it was to see him.

B and I became friends at a point in time in my life when I was in the middle of a huge paradigm shift. I was entirely fluid in my being and trying to figure out who and how to be. He was an extraordinary friend through that period and beyond. He has been one of my best friends for about 15 years. And probably will be for the rest of my life. I know that I can go to him and always expect nothing but honesty and kindness (even when those two don’t necessarily go hand in hand) and I know that I will always feel completely, utterly safe with him.

And he got to see me as a mom today, because the kids came with me to lunch. He was a bit taken aback to watch me walk into the restaurant with The Girl on my hip and hand in hand with The Boy. And I got to watch him help The Boy figure out a word puzzle on the kid’s menu.

It’s a lovely thing, to see each of us a bit more settled into our own skin.