1959

New Year's Eve! For the beautiful people reading this--thank you. I wish you a healthy, happy 2013...full of exciting adventures.

I'm about to tell you a story, but I better give you a little background info. I wrote yesterday on the difficulty of keeping in touch with best friends. I recited some advice I received regarding friendship-- that  high school pals eventually lose contact. Well, my grandmother and her two best friends have kept their tight knit friendship for 58 solid years.

 My grandmother's name is Wilma. She met Sandy in the 7th grade. Upon entering high school, they met Dianne, and the rest is history. As best friends, special moments were experienced together. Marriage, children, raising children, watching their little ones' grow and have families of their own, becoming grandmothers, retiring, all while maintaining the special bond formed years prior. 58 years later, that bond is stronger than ever. What's their trick?

Every New Year's Eve since 1959, the three best friends come together to ring in the New Year. It began 53 years ago with Wilma, Sandy, Dianne, and their husbands. As families expanded, the crowd grew. But the spirit of the night never diminished. This tradition started in 1959 and remains in place today. As I write, my grandmother and Sandy are reminiscing about old times and memories, having a jolly time. What a joy for me, to hear the old stories and see how far they've come-- together.

They've taken a group photo on each New Year's Eve since 1959. So, I present to you the 53 photo.

Happy 2013!!