Friends are family too

Family holidays are hard to get through for those of us who have lost touch with biological family, for one reason or another. That's when friends count the most. I am grateful that I live in a small town and as someone once said, I know everyone. Well that's not quite true, but I know a lot of people, and they pop up all over the place.

Just the other day I was having coffee with a friend when a lady tapped my arm to get my attention. I was surprised to discover it was someone who had been my District Manager for Avon over twenty years ago. That brought back some memories. I remember all those Avon boxes piled in her driveway, waiting for the representatives to pick them up and distribute them to customers. It also reminded me that I was a member of the President's Club at one time.

A couple days later I was getting water at an outside machine when a lady stopped by to say hello. At first I didn't quite remember who she was. Then it dawned on me that she was the lady who offered tax services in Grants. I had not seen her for many years.

There is a young man, well he isn't that young anymore, who is the produce manager at Smith's. He went to school with my middle child many years ago. He recently chewed me out because I called him James. I asked,'What should I call you?" He answered," Jimmy." It is the name I knew him by in his past life, when he was like twelve.

Smith's is a great place to find people I know and have known. It is not uncommon for me to run into someone I wrote about when I was a columnist for the local newspaper. That happened recently and I was granted a sincere hug from a man whom I had deemed as "authentic". He still is.

It is not unusual for me to find former teachers of my children and youngest grandchild among the shelves of the grocery store and other places in town. I recently ran into my daughter's fifth grade teacher at the hospital. When she asked about my daughter I told her she doesn't communicate with me anymore. I laughed when she said, " I should kick her in the butt!" 

So on this special holiday I count my friends as family too.