Since my husband and I had our second daughter, Ava, we haven’t gotten out on weeknights as much.  Ava is cute, but she’s a handful and public meltdowns are her specialty, so we avoid them as much as possible. Tonight, however, our friends invited us to join them and their girls for pizza and beer at Pinthouse Pizza.  We couldn’t refuse their company or the chance to try a new pizza joint, so we ventured out with both our girls for a rare evening out.

The place was a little loud, but the beer was good and the pizza better. It was so nice to get out and be with friends, enjoying their company, watching our girls entertain each other, and sharing laughs.  I appreciated the whole evening, especially our friends for getting us out and spending time with us.  And I’m most grateful that Ava didn’t have a meltdown. 😉

Today I had lunch with a friend I went to Catholic school with many, many moons ago.  It had been 25 years since we’ve had any real connection.  It was amazing to discover the twists and turns our lives took.  And I had forgotten how funny she is!

There’s something about losing a loved one and re-connecting with the past.  They essentially go hand-in-hand, as though the loss inspires connecting with all the people, places, or things that made us who we are today and how we connected to the person who passed on.

All that to say I really enjoyed visiting with my childhood friend at lunch today and am grateful for re-connecting with her.  It put a smile on my face and made me appreciate growing up with some really great friends.