Monday, August 30, 2010

long lost friends...found!

Can 36 years go by in the blink of an eye?
Growing up in Huntington Beach, CA was something of an idyllic childhood. We had a modest home in a lovely little neighborhood where all the kids that lived there, played together, joined Scouts together, played softball together & went to elementary, junior high & high school together. One of my bestest little friends was Susan Jacques.

My family took very few photographs, so this is one of my prized possessions...an old black & white photo of my 11th birthday party. My face is covered by a reflection, but on the right you can see Susan sitting on the floor next to me. {my little sister Kristen, who has the llama's in CO, is standing on the left}

I was in the sixth grade then & Susan & I did everything together!
Things I remember about Susan...
Her parents were French & had accents & sometimes I had a hard time understanding them.
She lived just a few house away from our elementary school Schroeder, so it was always fun to go to her house right after school.
We went to Girl Scouts together & our leader had a wandering eye & I could never tell when she was talking to me...so I got in trouble a lot cuz I wouldn't stop doing whatever she was telling me to stop doing. I thought she was talking to someone else. lol
I sold her sister my entire collection of Barbie's for $5 when I was in HS so I could go to a movie. I still kick myself for that.
And she was my bestest friend.

After HS, the gypsy in my soul took me to far off lands like San Francisco, Durango, Co & Salt Lake City & sadly, I lost track of so many of my childhood friends.
Fast Forward.
Through the super powers of facebook, Susan & I have just found each other after being separated for 36 years....how Crazy & Wonderful!
This is her sweet hubby Phil standing in front of the sign of my local lake, the lake I see everyday.

As serendipity would have it, they have been coming to Crestline for years. They have friends with a cabin here where they often come to relax & get away. They have eaten at the Cafe directly across the street from my shop. We have been feet away from each other all this time & never even knew it.

They came up this past weekend & we got to see each other face to face & it seemed as if time had stood still & we were still those 2 little girls who loved to talk & play.

She loves to make handmade jewelry...just like me.
She has her house decorated in lovely little vignettes...just like my shop.
She loves antiques...just like I do.
There was a reason we were such good friends when we were young.
We are so very similar.

So Sweet Hearts...today, if I could wish you anything, I would wish for you the pure joy of standing next to, talking & laughing with & being able to give a hug to,
a long, lost friend, found.
It's Magic!


Click here to view this photo book larger


{a photo book from Shutterfly I made a few years back with some of my childhood pictures}

21 comments:

Ruth said...

Oh Susie.... Thanks so much for sharing your story.
I found my long lost bestest friend from high school several years ago. We have only been in touch through emails. I really must see her in person. I just love how time can really stand still, even if for just a moment!
Make sure that you and Susan never lose touch. So Sweet!!

Ruth ;)

Alice said...

A beautiful story! It's great that you can pick up where you left off, and still be great friends.

I'm so lucky that all but one of my high school friends are still right here.

Robin said...

What a wonderful post!

Dianne said...

What a wonderful story!

Debby said...

So glad you found each other again. Now don't get lost again.

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

I am so thrilled for the both of you. What a special, magick filled experience to be together again....wow. I'm a little teary just thinking on your good fortune and how the fates were good to both of you.
The Olde Bagg

Charlene said...

LOVED the whole post! The theme of it... LONG LOST FRIENDS FOUND! And the fact that we got to see your shop. But, I have one question for you... are you the blonde or brunette? I haven't seen a photo of you my friend so I need to know what you look like. Hee Hee silly I know. Congrats in being re-united. Now, don't let distance happen again. Friends (old or new) are precious. HUGS! Charlene

petals and vintage said...

Such a lovely story! Glad that you found each other again.

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

This is the sweetest post, Susie...I'm so happy for you both! Thanks for sharing!

Kateyed said...

Susie,
What a terrific story. I am so glad you have found each other and I love the pictures of the two of you...you are both beautiful! It is amazing how similar you still are. What an incredible gift!

I live two doors from my best friend from 6th grade on. We grew up in South Dakota but both ended up in Minneapolis, through coincidence, when we were young married. We loved hanging out together and looked at our neighborhood and said, "Oh, wouldnt it be wonderful to live there sometime?" We moved back to South Dakota then my schooling brought us back here...and we have lived the last twenty years with a house in between us. I feel so fortunate!

I also just connected with a friend through Facebook that I never thought I would see again. Her father and my father were partners but we went away to college and she moved back South. She wrote me about a week ago. Facebook can make me furious (I got scammed last week and was offering all my friends free IPods) but it has done some wonderful things, too.

Hugs,
Suz (and sorry for babbling on!)

Susan Marchand said...

To all of you who have never experienced the feeling of losing touch with someone that was dear to you and then finding them again after so many years....Let me just say that finding my sweet friend, Susie, has been the most heartfelt experience of my life. We were always so much alike as little girls.Susie was the kind of little girl that you could share your intermost secrets with, and I did. She was the kind of friend that was always there for you through thick and thin.
Now that I have found my dear friend, I never want to lose touch again! When I first layed eyes on her sitting in a cozy chair outside of her adorable little shop, I knew immediately that she was the same little girl that I had lost touch with 36 yrs. ago. Even as "old" ladies, we still had so much in common. I am so happy to have found my Susie!
I will leave you with a little quote from Charles Caleb Colton that says it all:
"True Friendship is like sound health: the value of it is seldom known until it is lost."

Hugs to you Susie & all of your wonderful Friends

La Brocanteuse said...

What a precious memory post...makes me think back to my friends of long ago..
Thank you for your visit and lovely comment on my blog. kind regards
Colette x

Burlap Luxe said...

Thank you for your touching friend story. I am hanging onto my friend I never want to have to look for a long lost friend :)

Love the shop :)
xx
Dore

Unknown said...

Seeing your store, it makes me LONG to come up!!! I miss you! So glad you have found a long lost friend and have started up again!
xo

lynn

julie miller said...

So Sweet!! I am so happy for you that you were reunited with your friend ~ sounds like a match meant to be!! Smiles, Julie

Anji Johnston said...

What a wonderfully, heartfelt story. AMy you never loose touch again

shopgirl said...

This is such a sweet story and very serendipitous!!

p.s. love old photos!

Angela Weimer said...

How wonderful that you and your friend found each other again. It is so nice having those special frinds from childhood. I recently had the oppurtunity to see a dear friend on my trip back to the states. As luck would have it on our way back to NJ from south Carolina she called me so we took a side trip and got to visit just for the night. Having not seen her for 3 years it was hard to leave but I am grateful I got to see her and catch up. We have been friends for over 30 years now and rarely get to see each other but when we do it is as if no time has lasped(except that the kids are growing up) and we pick up where we left off. Have a wonderful day. Angela

Jann said...

Oh my gosh--I was reading your post and thinking, yes, Facebook is so wonderful--I have found and been reunited with many old friends, including my childhood best friend who lived across the street and moved away when we were still in elementary school. I hadn't known where she was for over 40 years! THEN . . . I saw your photo of the Lake Gregory sign and thought, "That can't be Lake Gregory in Crestline, can it?" My parents had a cabin in Crestline for many, many years, and I grew up going there every weekend and every summer during the 50s and 60s. I wanted to live there when I was grown up, but circumstances and a marriage took me to Oregon, where all of my kids were born. I took them down to visit my folks in S. Calif. and to the mountain cabin many times during the late 70s and 80s. Such fond memories--and now I find that this is where you live! Oh, how I'd love to visit your shop. Wish I lived closer--I'm in Sacramento now. Maybe one day I will venture down there and take my mom with me for old-times' sake. I am so glad I stopped by your blog today! Smiles, Jann

Unknown said...

So beautiful...you made me cry! Thanks for sharing such a lovely story.
Alicia xx

Ragamuffin Gal said...

I love your friendship story ~ what a beautiful tribute to the heartstrings and joys of friendship ~ Thanks so much for bringing such a ray of sunshine to my heart today Susie!