Sara's Here

I know I've said it before, but there's something about old friends. The comfort, the history, the easiness, the stories, the laughter. Although I've made a lot of friends since I moved to Ann Arbor, I treasure the friends who knew me when and continue to know me.

Sara was one of my roommates from college. I'm sure I wrote about the apartment we all shared our senior year in some other post, but I'm not sure which one. Anyway, it was a 4 bedroom apartment with 5 girls living there. Oh, and one bathroom. Looking back, the bathroom was never an issue (aside from some plumbing woes). Looking back, those 4 other women are still my closest friends.

Sure, distance has separated us, but when we get together or talk on the phone, we just pick up where we left off. In the time since college, we have shared the joys of weddings and births and the pain of disease and death. Through all of these times, I have relied on these women for advice, support, and an ear to listen. I know that whatever I need, including a good joke, they will give to me.

Sara and I met our sophomore year in college. We ended up living together junior and senior years. We instantly hit it off. Sara is a positive person regardless of the circumstances. She has a knack for talking to people, networking for herself and others, and creating laughter from the simplest of topics.

When her husband Joe emailed me about a month ago to see if he could surprise her with a plane ticket, I was thrilled. Sara has never been out here, and I was excited for her to see where I live. Stein picked her up from the airport, so they were already at the house when I got home from school. We didn't miss a beat. From the time I walked through the door, the conversation flowed. Not even pausing for trips to the fridge to grab more beers, a ride in the car to the restaurant, or the time right before saying goodnight. We shared stories from college, pulled out an old photo album, and talked about what's going on with us right now. Some stories dealt with dysfunction (we laughed about the fact that every family has dysfunction, it's all relative). Some stories were hysterically funny. You know when you're with a good friend when you laugh until your face hurts.

Stein was a trooper through the whole night. He endured this old-friend talk and contributed his own sarcasm and humor. It's so great to have him come to know and love my friends too.

Right now Sara is still sleeping (or lounging). She deserves this. With three kids and a husband who travels a ton, she needs a break. Today we're going to take a long walk (I hope the weather holds out) and talk and catch up some more. What a treat to have her here all to myself.