Just Ask the Waitress.

I met with the OFBC this morning. Oh, that’s not a secret, soviet agency from a scene in an Austin Power’s film, it’s the Old Friends Breakfast Club. Get it? OFBC. Okay, so why am I writing about breakfast? Well, I’m not. I’m writing to say how fortunate I am to have the privilege of being with such a group of adults. And make no mistake, we are adults. Very grown up adults. Very old grown up adults. (Just ask the waitress). We’ve been meeting for over a year. We started as three, and now have developed into 10 in our group, we’ve added three tables. And we have fun. (Just ask the waitress.)

After two hours of absolutely riveting conversations about grandchildren, physical ailments, sores that don’t heal, how time flies, and what it is like to have cataracts removed with your eyes wide open! (And just so you know, all grandchildren are very smart, and very cute, and very exciting; and they are all gonna grow up to be lawyers or doctors); I glanced over at our waitress, now safely behind the counter…she was a little too excited, and just a little frazzled, her hair had kinda come undone, and she looked, well, sweaty, as she waved goodbye.

Back to my friends. When Janis went into care, I held up pretty well for a brief period of time, but that didn’t hold me for long. I began to go into a fall. I started to withdraw a little and spent a lot of time alone in our small apartment. I was asked to do childcare for my grandchildren two days, weekly and I do that. It helps. I love being with them. Then one day, I contacted a couple that were friends of ours, and we had breakfast together, just the three of us. Then an amazing thing happened. We started to grow. Now, a year later, we may have to make reservations if we get any bigger. Here’s my point. One of the recommendations I read about for circumstances such as I was in, is to be social, hang out with friends. And my advice is the same.

I have made friends with a number of wonderful people I met working at Bowdoin College in my retirement. And they have proven to be much closer than I would have expected. They rallied and include me in many ways. I value their friendship. But, the OFBC? They are friends that go back to first grade in our small community. We all grew up together right through high school. We are like family. In fact, in some ways we are family. I have high hopes that we will be joined by others. And that waitress? Well, I bet she’ll just love seeing us come in the door. Really. She will.

After breakfast, I drove across town to visit with Janis. As I walked onto the Unit, I felt well. I guess you could say, that I felt like I was going to be okay now. Thanks to all my friends.