life is funny that way

'The Pink Shack' may not mean much of anything to most people...but if you attended senior high in this city back in the 60's and 70's...you will know that it was affectionately known by that name. It was back in the day when girls still wore dresses (however short!) and smoking was encouraged by providing a venue (known as the quadrangle) for all who wished to smoke. I may not remember much about Wakely's biology class...or Midzane's English class...or Martinuk's chemistry 12 class...but I do recall having a ball at CSSS. Most of my senior high fun involved my very good friend...Carol. Much of our spare time was spent together...or chatting on the phone. Those were the best of times...and I could not have imagined that after grad our lives would each take a very separate path.

I still remember the day we shopped for these dresses...we never thought they were too short at the time. Thanks to the 'crop' feature...we'll skip the legs today. We had a fun grad...which included a girl's camping weekend (well, we actually stayed in a hotel). Immediately after grad, Carol left town to take a summer job...and never returned. Within weeks she met the love of her life...who happened to hail from Quebec...and soon after they were married and settled on Canada's east coast. We wrote the occasional letter...and made every effort to keep up the friendship...but the distance between was just too great!

Over time, Carol and her husband moved back to B.C....and settled in a community nearly an hour away. We started our families at much the same time...and visited with each other on occasion...and shared family news between visits. Over the past few years we have met several times by accident...and intentionally on other occasions. It's always easy to visit...we just pick up where we left off last time! But Carol still lives an hour's drive from our community.

Imagine my surprise at meeting Carol and Paul in our church foyer on a Sunday morning awhile back! They were visiting their son and daughter-in-law, who recently moved to our community...and were attending our church. With a choice of seventy churches to choose from...landing up at the one we attend was not a given! Yesterday morning I met Carol once again as she arrived for the morning service....for her daughter-in-law's baptism. Her son shared his story as well...and together they made a commitment to join our church family.

So I am thinking that I may just be connecting with Carol a little more often than I have in the past. With kids and grandkids living out here...I'm sure she'll be out this way often.

Carol always loved sports...and was a track and field star back in the day. We learned to play tennis together...and she loved playing softball. So why am I not surprised that she now is a personal trainer...and runs marathons?

She completed the Boston marathon last year...how special is that?

We were friends a very long time ago...our lives have taken us on different journeys...and now it seems those separate paths will be crossing a little more frequently. Life is funny that way...and I like it!

Happy Groundhog Day...there's no shadows to be seen out here!