Visiting with Old Friends

Posted on July 28, 2009

As I mentioned in my previous post, this last weekend was super special–a friend of mine from my college days came to town for a visit. I have not seen her for a few years. Since she has gotten married and had two precious girls. It is amazing how time flew by. I still feel like I am in my 20s, but the fact that my friends have kids that are walking and talking, and some of them are even attending schools, testifies to the contrary.

My friend Caroline was my and my niece’s roommate in college. My niece Luba and I attended same Christian college in Columbus, OH. There, during the first couple of weeks of school, we met Caroline. At that time Caroline was still looking for a place to live. Luba and I were already renting an apartment. We invited Caroline to stay with us until she could find a place to call her own. After a couple of weeks of Caroline staying with us it just felt right, like she really belonged there, so Luba and I chit-chatted and offered Caroline to become our roommate. Since then we became a family.

Luba and Caroline used to be the chatty roommates-there was always something to talk about. Being a full-time student and having a full-time job in customer service (banking) the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to talk. I remember how they would insist I sit down and talk with them, but most of the times, after dinner and homework I was off to bed, while these two could talk into the wee hours of the morning. And let me tell you–they weren’t quite (time I got you back for all of that, roomies ). Instead of going to Caroline’s room, which was separated from the room Luba and I shared by the living room, they would sit on the couch in the living room having their lively conversations. Once in a while I would peak out from my room and ask them to whisper. They almost always readily agreed. The moment I would get to bed, though, the whisper, within seconds would escalate to giggles and then laughter, and then, to what would seem to a sleepy, tired person, unacceptable volumes .

But that is in the past now. After 2 years in the same apartment we all drifted our own ways. I had roomed with another friend during my last year of college. Luba also had roomed with someone else from college, as did Caroline. However, the inseparable chatty duo could not stay away from each other–Luba and Caroline ended up as roommates again, until they both moved to Longview, WA.

Caroline, God bless her for that, moved to this tiny town to work with our youth and did a superb job. Many of the girls she mentored have become wonderful leaders, and some of them–wives and mothers. Caroline’s legacy in this town will not be easily forgotten. My family loves her as our own. But, don’t let me skip some interesting facts.

Caroline decided to take a trip to Israel one year. On that trip she met a man who stole her heart. They very quickly became engaged and a year later married. Caroline moved to Israel and started a whole new chapter in her life. Now she has two beautiful girls that are a spit image of her, and she is an excellent mother.

Caroline, we love you! We (I) are so glad to have seen you once again.

Caroline’s youngest, baby H*, is a cute living doll. At 16 months old she talks more than you would expect.

The gorgeous duo quickly stole Demetrye’s heart, although it looks like they found him irresistable as well. They demanded to be in his arms at the same time.

Can you believe this cuteness and these gorgeous eyes?! Look at these eyelashes…

Didn’t i tell you that the two can talk? Luba, on the right, with Caroline in the middle, and my sister, Marina to the right, still can laugh and giggle and go on chatting for hours. However, I can live through their conversations very easily now–I no longer room with them

Caroline’s oldest, H*, is a doll. The first time I saw her a few days ago, she came up to me and gave me a big hug. Within minutes she looked at me and casually said: “I am the BOSS!” I am glad that we established that very quickly

H* is very quick to make new friends.