Linda, my first friend and best friend,

meeting on the first day of school.

Finger-painting in Dad’s old shirts,

sharing crayons and baby dolls.

Inseparable, joining Blue Birds and Camp Fire Girls,

climbing hills and taking falls. 

Summers stocked with childhood fun,

scaling trees and skinning knees,

chasing ice cream trucks and butterflies,

twirling hula hoops and skipping rope,

finding four-leaf clovers and robins’ eggs,

learning day by day the value of hope. 

Getting braces and bras, meeting boys, sharing secrets,

primping in makeup, nail polish, and nylons,

dressing up for dates, dances and parties,

scaring our dads while learning to drive.

Choosing names for our children, planning our futures,

blooming in the summertime of life. 

 
  Through college years and motherhood, constant friends.

Our babies grown with children of their own.

As the older generation, planning for retirement,

saving money, quitting jobs, watching butterflies.

Reaping the fruits of our labors,

flourishing in the fullness of our lives. 

One day, side by side on the porch,

sharing sweet memories from our past,

gently swinging, sipping tea, smiling

through laughter and tears,

remembering friends and family members long gone,

warming our bones in the autumn of our years.