I've gotten digital photos of some ancient photos of my childhood friend. She sent me her album with the Brownie photos, and now I've had them copied and will send the album back to her. I feel just looking at what she put in her album and left out is interesting, at least as far as her state of mind as a teenager. I see a lonely girl, whom I thought was miss popularity, and also a girl who's best friend was forced to move. Her next best friend was forced to marry and move soon after. A lot of loss, and it shows up in her face. I also see a very happy me, and I can see that I had some kind of resilience that kept me going, despite losing all my friends and boyfriend. I was altered, but not crushed. That is a matter of luck, and adaptability from having to move a few times before the big move across the country and into the urban world I'd never known. So, now, I kind of see how staying behind was worse, with all the reminders and none of the distractions. I have more compassion now, and as a teenager, I just saw my friend as lucky to get to stay.
She, too, has become resilient, but learned it later in life, through becoming a widow, moving to the midwest and raising a family, having her husband leave her at 50. She's come into her own, and has friends everywhere she goes. She's proud to be alone, make her own choices, visit her kids and many grandkids, kick back with friends. I'm proud of her. And me. We done good.
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