The Gift of Multi-Generational Friends
"As a (now) 35-year-old, I get it, and I thank God for the gift of multi-generational friends, like Dorothy, and all the love and wisdom they give us."
One of the greatest blessings in my life is my girlfriends.
When I say I have the best girlfriends anyone can ask for, I mean it.
I have my high school girlfriends whom I talk to almost every day via text or by sending reels on Instagram.
There's my college bestie whom I also talk to frequently and enjoy an annual girls' weekend with.
Many of my best girlfriends I met during my mom years, whether through my mom's group at church, school, or sports.
However, there is one friend who made a huge impact on my life and will stay in my heart forever: That friend is Dorothy.
When I was in 7th grade, my parents bought a civil engineering business on Colorado's Eastern Plains, which removed us from the city where I grew up and placed us in a small town that I still adore and will always consider my hometown. We were all able to integrate into our new home pretty quickly, with my parents joining the local museum board and my dad quickly becoming the co-director. It was through the museum that our family made many connections and friendships in our new town, including Dorothy, who trained and scheduled the volunteer guides.
In terms of height, Dorothy came up to my shoulder, but in terms of personality, Dorothy was larger than life.
She arrived at Mass early each week to lead the rosary.
When it came to fashion, no one could dress quite like Dorothy, who had all the cutest hats and broaches to complete her outfit.
Dorothy co-owned an adorable boutique in town, knew everyone (and always had the latest news to share), and was extremely wise. (When I was weaning my middle son, Dorothy is the one who advised me to wean by the moon's cycle, which is an old farming trick that works well on not only calves, but human babies, too!)
One of my favorite Dorothy memories was going to our small town theater with my mom to see "Letter to Juliet." When we arrived, Dorothy, along with several other women from the museum, was already there, and she waved us over to sit with her. As soon as I plopped down next to her, she began telling me a story about someone sitting toward the back of the theater, which was interrupted by the start of the previews. "Remind me to tell you the rest after the movie," she whispered, obviously annoyed. (I never got to hear the rest of the story, as a small tornado ripped through town a few minutes later, causing the audience to evacuate to the small lower level of the theater.)
After Brandon and I got engaged, Dorothy co-hosted my bridal shower tea party with my Aunt Brigette. It was such a perfect day, and one that just made me love this special lady even more.
^^A few pictures from the bridal shower, courtesy of the talented Amber Poland.^^
Tomorrow, we lay my friend Dorothy to rest.
For the last several years, Dorothy lived at an assisted living facility an hour from my hometown, and every Valentine's Day and Christmas, I enjoyed putting together care packages to send her. We kept in touch via snail mail and Facebook, the latter of which I consider a blessing when it comes to sharing pictures and life with family and friends far away.
Dorothy had been quiet on Facebook for quite a while, but as a busy mom, I hadn't noticed until my mom called me a few weeks ago with the sad news.
She was gone. My friend had passed away.
Reminiscing about Dorothy reminds me of a memory from middle school.. As I remember it, I told my mom that I thought it was weird that she had so many "old" friends and how, if I, as a (then) 14-year-old, had older friends like that, it would be looked down upon. Mom corrected me and said that, yes, it would be weird for me to befriend someone who was 10 years older than me, but the older you get, the more bridged the age gap becomes.
As a (now) 35-year-old, I get it, and I thank God for the gift of multi-generational friends, like Dorothy, and all the love and wisdom they give us.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.