open roads and open hearts

Thirteen hours in a car with an old friend, from Houston to Mission, Texas. And back.

Our lives have taken us in such different directions since we grew up like two peas in a pod. We were best friends through grade school, reading Harriet the Spy and climbing trees. She was my maid of honor. I was hers. We used to mail our kids' school pictures to each other; now we follow the grandkid photos on Instagram.  But because our lives and views have diverged so much through the years, it felt like a potential peril be in the car together for that long.

However.

We …

… talked about our worries and heartbreak and failures and successes as parents;

… discussed whether or not we should ever manipulate our husbands (and decide yes, with love);

… chatted about money and sex and Hassidic Jews and travel plans and Mormons;

… meandered through the topics of family dynamics and favorite movies and childhood memories and sex and death;

… shared tactics for holding our tongues instead of speaking out of turn;

… talked through the grief and mourning that comes from the loss of dear friends;

… congratulated each other on finding professional paths that suit our respective interests;

… celebrated our respective work accomplishments;

… nattered about our hopes and dreams for the future;

… wondered aloud about which battles to fight and which to walk away from;

… admired the bluebonnets on the embankment and the blooming mesquite alongside the road;

… agonized over what we fear and dread;

… comforted each other about the seemingly intractable problems of aging tummies and thighs;

… sighed over how our self-deprecating ways have affected our daughters;

… mused about grandkids and their eating habits;

… wondered how they will turn out when they're all grown up;

… talked about coping skills in times of duress, in the face of difference;

… laughed about how hard it is to find someone to talk honestly with about serious issues like sex and death.

And we are friends. Differences fade in the face of our humanity. We find solace in sisterhood.

May we all be so fortunate.