reuniting with an old friend

I met Terri in the spring of 1989.  She was recruiting for people to join her in a summer house in Southampton on Flying Point Road, right on the beach.  It was a dumpy little house in an idyllic location.

It turned out to be a momentous summer.  Terri and I became good friends, and I fell in love with 26-year old Eric, 12 years my junior.  Three years later we would become parents to  Alexander.

Over the years, Terri and I shared many wild stories.  In 2001, she gave birth to a beautiful and precocious little boy, and soon was a single mom too.

Terri moved to New Jersey, but we still saw each other regularly.  In November of 2008, a small group got together in New York to celebrate Terri’s 50^th birthday.  Soon after, she moved South and I haven’t seen her since.  Over time, we lost touch, for no good reason.  Life and laziness I guess.

On Tuesday I get an email.  It’s from Terri.  She’s in town.  We make plans for dinner.

We meet in Tribeca at Roc.  It's a gorgeous night and we eat outside, with a perfect view of One World Trade Center.  

Terri arrives soon after I do, and at once it feels familiar.  She hasn’t changed at all in five years.  

Spending time with Terri makes me realize how much I have missed her.  We know each other well, having lived through many important events in each other’s lives.  It feels good to just relax over a spectacular dinner, and share stories of our adventures now.  They are certainly tamer than the ones years ago, but that doesn’t make them less interesting.  Just safer.

We say good-bye with a promise to speak soon.  I am confident we’ll keep our promise.

Walking to the subway, I see the sky light up with fireworks.  I like to think they are in celebration of a renewed friendship.