Through the Years

Through the Years

Suzanne Marsh

I am drawn to this quote it is from author and New York Times best seller Ally Condie:

“Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side, our roots will

always be tangled, for that I am glad.” Friends come and go throughout our lives, some remain through thick and thin. Growing up is never easy and in some cases very difficult. In the summer of 1956 my parents moved from Buffalo, New York to a new suburb, Town of Tonawanda. I remember my dad pulling away from the curb in his black Ford, with a tear running down my cheek I waved goodbye to Katie. We had been friends for three years. I wondered if I would make new friends once we were settled in the house. We followed the movers to the new house. It was a red brick face, with ivy covering the front, the rest of the house was painted white, it was clapboard. The house next door had a girl about my age watching with her older sister.

The girl had jet black hair and bangs, me, I had mousey brown hair in long curls. I remember getting out of the car, and dad opening the front door. The movers had most everything situated by late that afternoon. I went looking for my toys, I found my small rocking chair but could not locate my dolls. Like any typical five year old I began to cry. Dad, gave mom one of those: 'find the box with her toys in it before she drives us both crazy' looks. My bedroom, as it turned out faced the other little girls' window. I hoped to meet her soon. I did the following day. We began to form a friendship, that has lasted sixty five years it will be sixty six years in July. Has it really been that long?

I was really dreading going to this new school. I had to wear a uniform. I remember a hot August day, mom took me to have the uniform and blouses fitted. The uniform consisted of a navy blue jumper, white starched cotton blouses, a bow tie that clipped on and a beanie with a tassel on top. Happily Judy and Gail also wore that uniform. At least we both had to wear the same uniform. I was a year ahead of Judy she is roughly four and a half months younger than I am.

I remember one fight we had, I had been watching Broken Arrow with dad and just as Cochise had broken the arrow, I did the same thing. I was so mad, but as friends do we made up a few days later. Judys' mom knew how to drive so we went to Beaver Island State Park every summer to swim. Good thing her mom could drive because otherwise we would have been stranded. We also used to go to Lincoln Park at the foot of the street, we would spend hours waxing then sliding down the slides, and swinging on the swings. It was a great time to be a kid.

I remember one winter dad built an igloo for us out of the snow. That year we froze the backyard and ice skated there, it beat walking down the park when is was cold. We used to have sleep overs which was great fun. We shared a double bed upstairs at Judys', the same was true for my house.

We used to walk to Longo's to get an ice cream cone or lemon ice. That was when a small cone was five cents. Many moons ago. We used to square off to play kickball in the street. We used to play on the same team. Dad and mom one year bought a three foot deep swimming pool. Judy and I used to swim most afternoons. The water always felt so good. When fall finally arrived we went back to school. Some years the nuns would allow us to wear regular clothes the first day, other years they wouldn't. Each year mom and dad would take pictures of us as we began school. Somewhere in a pile of pictures there is a black and white photograph of Judy and I standing on the front porch in our uniforms.

The years went by, we became teenagers. Judy, was the reader, I was the trouble maker. Somehow that did not work to my advantage. Judy was studious, me if I passed in January I didn't bother to study for the June exams. I think Judy had much more self discipline than I did. We both went to Mount Saint Mary's Academy for girls. She graduated from there, me I was asked not to politely to leave after my sophomore year. Judy went on to college and became a Physical Therapist. I became a mother at eighteen. Judy stood up for me when I got married, and I stood up for her when she married.

I remember the day I called her to inform her that I was getting divorce, instead of telling me. 'I told you so' she told me she was sorry to hear that and we should get together and commiserate. I really was not in the mood to commiserate at that time. I wanted it over and done with. When I remarried Judy and her husband Joe came to the reception.

Time has a way of getting away from most of us. Judy and I are no exceptions. We are both a little grayer and wiser now. We are both grandmothers, she is a grandmother I am a great grandmother! When I see that I feel even older. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were growing up. Playing kickball and basketball. Playing with dolls, and being children.

We are both seventy now. Through the years, we have always been there for each other. Through the good times as well as the bad. Today Judy and Joe live in California, my husband and I live in Texas. Our lives became tangled when we were five, we grew apart, but never that far apart.