Day 1135 Neighbors

 

A rare photo of Kelly and me from 1974—courtesy of the Woolworths photo booth!

Kelly moved in next door when I was five or six years old, and the two of us became fast friends, spending nearly every day together instantly and for years to come. Our neighborhood was packed with kids (for being in the middle of nowhere)—five next door, several across the street, and as new homes were built, more families moved in. Our nightly kickball games and spontaneous neighborhood gatherings only grew larger.

Kelly and I played together constantly and managed to maintain our friendship well into adulthood. When my grandkids started preschool, it was Kelly, now a teacher, who welcomed them into her classroom! She runs a preschool right across the street from my house, so I get to see her now and again, though never as often as I'd like.

When we were kids, we made a pact to one day own houses next door to each other so we could be neighbors forever. That didn’t happen—but her preschool being next door is a pretty sweet consolation prize. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all our best friends lived just a few steps away?

Some friends of mine recently joined the Westerly Yacht Club and have been browsing the calendar for a fun night to invite us along. Kelly happens to be a member there too—wouldn’t it be fun to surprise her and show up one night?

But back to that photo and Woolworths—the only real department store in Wakefield back in the day. Growing up out in the woods, a trip to town meant either riding our bikes the 8½ miles each way or catching a ride to my grandparents’ house on Kenyon Avenue. From there, we could walk into town easily, explore, and then hitch a ride back home. Thank goodness for grandparents in town—otherwise, that long bike ride would’ve been our only option!

Woolworths had it all: a small diner, a photo booth, shelves filled with candy, and rows of Dr. Scholl’s sandals. What more could a kid want? We didn’t often splurge on the 50 cents it cost for photos, but one day we did—and I’m so glad we splurged. That photo still makes me smile. Definitely money well spent.

Seeing it pop up in my memories gave me the best kind of nudge—to call an old friend, relive a few laughs, and feel grateful for a lifelong friendship that’s still going strong.

Here’s to the friends who grow up with us, stick around through the years, and still make us smile decades later....just wish we were neighbors!!