Do any of you still keep in contact with childhood friends who you went to school with or lived in your neighborhood?

Mine is my old friend Mary. She went to Honduras as a teacher and Peace Corp worker in the 70's. Her and her husband Jose were forced to leave Tegucigalpa in the 80's. I got to see her about 18 years ago when she came back here to visit her oldest brother.

Mary and I played with my Barbie dolls on hot summer evenings on her porch in the late 50's and early 60's. Her dad was strict and according to her, didn't think she should have one of her own. He did allow her to play with my Barbie dolls. We picked wild blackberries and strawberries in the field. We walked to the public swimming pool to swim. On our walks home we'd collect empty pop bottles and cash them in scoring a penny or two to buy us a pretzel we'd share. When we got really lucky we'd find an empty bottle with a nickle deposit fee that would buy us a popsicle, which we also shared. We learned there were free samples of baked goods at our local Davis Bakery. We'd stop in on our walk home from the pool and ask, "do you have any free samples?" One time the bakery clerk asked me, "does your dad give free samples at his job?" I had no answer because my dad was a painter. After dinner we'd join the neighborhood boys (composed mostly of her brothers) to play softball. Usually Mary had chores after dinner and sometimes I'd help her so she'd finish faster to come play with me. Her and I also helped the nuns clean classrooms when school was out for the summer. The nuns would reward us with the leftover pints of chocolate milk from the days classes.

Now I correspond with her by e-mail to her home in San Antonio, Texas. She teaches third grade there.

Those were some wonderful memories of some wonderful summers with my best friend.

Oh Lordy yes and she is also my cousin. Her name is Arlene and we are a lot alike yet respect one anothers differences. She and I could write a book about the things we have done together. I am trying to support her now that her husband, another school friend, is in a bad way in the coronary care unit of a hospital in Indiana.We are in constant phone and/or email contact.

Chatty that reminds me of how close I was with my cousin Linda and how we've lost touch even though she's only about 60 miles away.

I have three high school friends that I am still very close too. One in particular was a childhood friend dating back to our toddler years. I can't imagine not having these three women in my life or a part of it... it doesn't matter if we don't speak every week, month, or whatever... when we do, we pick up where we left off. No apologies necessary. We know life gets in the way. But if I needed some one, or some thing, I could call any of the three and have it... without question. I wouldn't trade their love and friendship for all of the Oreo's on earth.

JJ

Well, I know you have heard my story about finding my girlfriend I grew up with there are two of them . One movied to Fla and never heard from here again . I have tired with the birthday card and christmas and no luck. Then there is the one who is two busy for me after we found each other . I miss my old friends , but have lots of High school friends .

My best friend from childhood moved to Maryland over 30 years ago. We stayed in touch in visited when our children were small. But then her parents moved down there to be close to here, and we lost touch after a while.

When I got sick 4 years ago, I decided it was time to touch bases with all the important people in my life, so I called her. We've been talking a couple of times a year since. On my first birthday after radiation, she sent me roses in celebration of 50 years of friendship. It doesn't get much better than that.

I'm also still very close to my college roommate.

Jackie, where in Maryland? Maybe you can visit her and I can meet you.

Today is my girlfriend's mother's birthday. Now follow closely here. We met in Catholic school in first grade. Our mothers became best friends who palled around until the day they died (within 2 years of one another). We are also very dear friends. Gosh, we know so much about one another and our families. It's beautiful. Anyway, we deicided to honor our mother's friendship by having lunch together on their birthdays. It's such a warm, fuzzy thing to do. I cherish it. I am so grateful for her friendship. She is also my daughter's Godmother and she takes that title very seriously. GOd love her. I sure do!

My best friend and I met in our teens and have remained close all these years. Like JJ said about her friends, it doesn't matter if we talk once a week or once a month, nothing changes. We pick up right where we left off.

Dotsie, your story is so sweet.

Barbara lives in Silver Spring. They're much more likely to head this way, because their married daughter lives in Maine. It's been many year since we've actually seen each other. If I ever get there again, I'd love to meet you.

I got back in touch with one of my childhood friends a few months ago, and how it happened is kinda funny.

While reading a magazine on the bus on my way to work, I flipped the page and THERE SHE WAS! In a glossy two-page spread about her gorgeous, funky Manhattan apartment. Jeanie was wearing a vintage cocktail dress, hot pink. Soooo Jeanie! We hadn't talked at length for almost 20 years, but we clearly were destined to be reunited.

Turns out we are in the exact same line of work. OK, that's not so unusual, it happens all the time. But we are both consultants who organize clients' photograph collections.

I mean, honestly!

What *are* the chances?

How many people can there possibly be who make a living this way?

We come at the profession from very different angles. Jeanie is artistically gifted and has always had her own unique style. She organizes photo collections and then creates these unbelievably gorgeous scrapbooks. I'm the history/archives geek who organzies photo collections and makes sure they are safe from acids, plastic fumes, and other damaging elements. Jeanie teaches an adult ed class on how to decorate on a shoestring, I teach workshops on how to preserve print and digital photographs. Parallel lives!

Now "PhotoJeanie" and I gab for 30 minutes to an hour at a time, every few weeks. We talk (half-jokingly) about writing a book together someday. Can't you just see us together on Oprah?

P.S. Our moms thought it was a HOOT and are back in contact with each other, too.