Good Luck, Good Friend

After living in Cleveland for nearly 20 years, one of my dearest and most longtime friends is moving to Milwaukee. She got a fantastic opportunity and it is a beautiful thing. Change is not as easy for other people as it is for me, but she is taking advantage of this wonderful time in her life to go to "the next level" as they say. We will miss her but Milwaukee isn't all that far. And there are these new inventions like the telephone and email. But it won't be the same as being able to read her reaction to things or see her tell a story in the way only she can tell it.

My kids and I pulled some pictures out today so they could make little going-away cards for her. She's been around with us a long time. She helped X and I install a tile floor in our first house. She was there for the births of both my kids, and when my mother died and X's mother as well. She is as constant as the northern star, and fairer than anyone I know.

I'm actually planning to get out to Chicago in a few weeks and I'll see her then as part of a weekend-long birthday celebration that concludes with a great show at The Kent Stage (more on that next week). It turns out, Milwaukee also has a Bluegrass Music Association. Who knew!

Over the course of her time here, we went to a lot of concerts -- or I should say I kind of coaxed her to come along. But we always had a great time. The weekend after I buried my mother, we went to see Laurie Lewis for the first time. That show really helped us all heal a little bit. Whenever I hear this song, "Old Friend", I think of my friend L and how much she's meant to me over the years. Her friendship has been a treasure and I hope I can honor it now that she'll be far away.

Good luck old friend, and see you soon!

Old Friend