Make New Friends......

..........But keep the old........

     Most of us know this round robin song.....especially if you were in Girl Scouts.


     I am coming off that high you get when you have had a delightful time visiting with someone you have not seen in ten years........and thinking over how ridiculous that we let that much time go by.  Especially when we only live one hour away from each other.  And especially when there is a godparent-godchild relationship involved. 

      Duh.  What were we thinking???  How could we have let this happen??? 



      We have spoken via the phone at least once every year or so, playing catch-up;  I have sent the Christmas newsletter to them.....so they have been in-the-know about our lives........but still, we should have made those in-real-life relationships a priority.  Don't think that I did not muse about it every time I drove through their town on the way to somewhere else......scolding myself. 

      Well, we cannot get that time back now........but, we can move forward.  I am committed to that.

       The story..........


         My fifth child, & second son, has godparents who live in the city about an hour south of us.  We used to go down there to the traditional mass every Sunday, so we saw them a lot.  But once we had another traditional mass to attend in a northern direction, we just never made it their way.  Ten years ago! 

      The last time my son saw his godparents was ten years ago.  He was only four and a half years old. Argh.  Okay, enough scolding already.

+++++

     Well, another here is another good reason to be grateful for the positive effects of Facebook..... his godmother and I have been able to interact on an almost daily basis.  So much easier to send a quick message when the thought occurs than to pick up the phone.  At least for me.

      So, knowing that Garrett had a basketball tournament last weekend in their city........I made contact with his godmother, Anne.........and everything fell so easily into place.  Finally.  We had been trying to match windows of availablity for at least the whole month of April......there weren't any.  But, finally, we found one.  My fifteen year old had the basketball tournament and their sixteen year old, John, had a Youth Orchestra concert.....and even on the same side of town.  One right after the other.  How lucky was I???? to get to attend a orchestra concert.  I love classical music.....oh, that is probably pretty obvious.  :)


      It was just my 15 year old, Garrett and me, hanging out.  We went to his basketball game, which started late.........making us late to meet up with the godparents.  His game was fun to watch.......tied most of the second half......and 50 to 50 with only 23 seconds to go.  Tension high, of course.  The other team scored, now 52 to 50.  With only six seconds left, and the ball on the opposite side of the court from our basket, a member of our team headed down the court, and at about half-way, passed the ball.  When that player appeared to have caught the ball, and then began to fumble with it, you could feel the deflation.  The fans knew it was over.  But.....this player recovered....both physically and mentally.....and with only 1.3 seconds left in the game, remembered to attempt to shoot.  Just as the buzzer went off to end the game, his THREE POINT SHOT made it into the basket!  We won!  53 to 52!  Nice.

Garrett is the one standing, second from the left.

      We rushed over to the junior college for the concert.........we missed the first three pieces, unfortunately, but we arrived perfectly in time to see godbrother John's stunning performance with his violin solo.  Phew. Perfect timing. 


     It was such a gorgeous day!  Because we drive from our home at about 3500 feet elevation down to 495 feet to reach this city, the temperature difference is always at least ten degrees.....it was most welcome to feel a day that was close to 90*.  Our bones are still winter weary........especially after the two long cold seasons we had before this year.  The sky was a lovely blue.  I took this photo below from the parking lot just before we went into the concert.  You can barely see in the background Mount Lassen......of Lassen National Park. It is a volcano of the Pacific Rim of Fire fame, the furthest south in the US.....and last erupted in the early twentieth century.......1915...Ah, I digress...as usual....

Silly iPhones and blurry pics.
John is just to the left of the conductor's podium,
playing a nice long violin solo.

      After the concert, it was easy for Anne to find her godson in the crowd.....she recognized His Tallness from the Facebook pictures, of course.  :)  (See???  Yet another good thing about Facebook....the ability to share photos and watch each other's kids grow and follow family memories.)

     After a bit of socializing following the concert, we ran by the store......Garrett wanted to bring a gift to his godmother.......I wish we had taken a picture of those flowers, they were so beautiful! So unusual, too. I wish I could remember what they were called.......

     Upon arrival to the godparents' house, we found godfather was preparing dinner.  Godmother visited with us, as did the youngest two of the eight kids, the only ones living at home at this time.  Ten years sure grows kids up a lot!!!


      Because Anne has been reading posts here at this blog, as well as on Facebook.....she knew literature was an excellent topic of choice with us.  :)

      She asked Garrett who his favorite author was........Robert Louis Stevenson was his reply.  After a bit more literature chat........she offered him a book and led me into her room where she shared her Bedside Reading shelf.  Oh!  That I may come visit everybody's Bedside Reading shelf!  (Now there is a fantasy waiting to be fulfilled.......maybe my second visit should be to see Erin's shelf???  I wish!)


     Anne had a lovely copy of The Complete Works of Robert Louis Stevenson........that she gave to her godson.........who came home, so thrilled with his book gift that he showed it off to his literature-loving siblings, who, of course, properly droolled over his luck.  :)


      A fellow-bibliophile, Anne shared her favorite books from her shelves with me........she had a nice collection of books written by writers about writing.  This sample of books below, by author Julia Cameron, I found very intriguing.  I took a picture of these pretty books and sent a picture text to my English education daughter who is also a promising writer.  We are both tempted. I think I may have given one of her titles to my daughter once for a gift......she will have to track it down.

     It was also nice to see where my friend Anne hangs out when she is on the computer writing......I am a visual person and now I can see her room, her books, and her, as she plunks down on the bed with her computer after a long, busy shift of work.  I just love sharing books with friends.  (And strangers, too.  :)  )


      Later we ejnoyed a wonderful enchilada dinner prepared by Rudy, the godfather.  :)  And more conversation........as we "preached to the choir" about vaccinations, the Catholic faith and so on. It was nice to play "catch-up" about what all of our 14 kids are doing these days.  Just crazy.  They were all little guys just a few days ago.....right????

    
      Sweetly, they provided a carrot cake to celebrate my birthday that had just passed that week, but not without first singing happy birthday.  Having been sick on the couch for my birthday and in no mood for singing or cake, this was a nice touch.  Thank you, Anne and Rudy and family!


     We did not actually leave their house till ten pm.......which is okay.....but we still had an hour drive before us.  We stayed till ten because we never ran out of conversation.......which is why we should visit more frequently.......so the conversations can continue.  It is fun to chat with people who are almost completely on the same page about most things.  :)


      So........the reason I am inspired to write this post is because I want to save the memory........and because I want to challenge each of you to pick up the phone and make contact with that one godparent of your kids that you have been neglecting.  If you do not have a neglected godparent......think of a friend or relative, and make that phone call......set up a visit, if possible.  Don't let anymore time pass.  Leave a note in the comments of who that person will be for you........and then go make contact.  Come back here by the end of May and share with us how it turned out for you.

And, no....I was too distracted to remember to get any people photos.  Duh!


Friendly blessings,

                        Chari

      Oh, by the way........keep your eyes on Garrett's beautiful godsister, Anna Maich........her singing will take her somewhere.  :)