The Years Melted Away

                                                                                                                                                     In 1982 we moved to Reno, Nevada. Through a series of fortunate events, we moved into a duplex in the suburb of Sparks, where we got to know a really awesome couple. It's not usual that BOTH husbands and BOTH wives get along together, but this was the case with these two.

Within a year, we had to move to Las Vegas. It was one of the most painful goodbyes we ever had to experience. In that short year, we had packed in tons of card playing, multiple adventures, camping and temple trips, and some very humorous memories. We had become so close, in fact, that a few years later we asked them to take our children in the instance that both Harvey and I died at the same time (morbid, yes; but parents have to think of this!).

For the first few years we continued to keep in touch; but as these things go (and many moves later) we grew out of touch with each other. There was one winter vacation that took us to nearby Lake Tahoe, and we stopped by for a short while to visit, but after that it was basically an occasional Christmas card.

My sweet husband, in looking for an unusual birthday gift, thought of going to visit them for a long weekend. Arrangements were made, we were invited to stay in their home, and away we went.

Oh, how good it was to see them! It was as if the years melted away into nothing. We played cards, searched out the two homes we had lived in, found a Nielson's Frozen Custard restaurant (my birthday treat!), and became acquainted with their daughter. (Their son was already married and living elsewhere.) We had much to catch up on; in fact the last day we were there, we sat in their living room for over 7 hours visiting. Leaving them the next day left us sad, but resolved to stay in touch with them MUCH more often than we had. We consider their friendship an eternal one.

Harvey & I, with Brad & Kayleen