Here's to Friendship

Among the correspondence that my mother gave me that she'd written to her parents while she was living in France when I was born, there is a postcard in which Mom wrote of her regret that her friend was leaving for the States. The friend to whom she referred is Doris Beatty, pictured here in the center, next to my mother on the right. They remained close friends for fifty more years through many moves and many changes. I was grateful to see Doris at Mom's funeral last Dec., and comforted by the her presence and that of other "old" family friends. That kind of friendship is hard to find and my parents were fortunate to have it with others, as well. Those family friends, the Kirkpatricks, Beattys, Kitty, Wengers, Sullivans, Carvers, Janie come to mind and there are others. Not to mention their childhood friends whom, because we didn't grow up in Mobile, we children didn't have the chance to get to know but whose names are part of our family history, adding depth and richness to our lives.