She sat on the floor.....drying her long black hair, reading as she did so. If it weren't for the grey dusting at the roots of her hair, and the fact that she was reading her emails, not a romance novel, it could have been 30 years ago. For a brief few days, this precious girl was once again my roommate, shaking her head and calling me "Bells".
8 Women - 4 days at the Beach. 7 Theatre Majors, 1 Music Major. 2 sets of former roommates. 30 some years stood between us and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro - our common denominator.
We have been separated by time, distance, neglect and circumstance. Some of us were very close, some of us were acquaintances, some were strangers, but in the magic of the ocean air and the smoke of a bonfire, bonds were made and renewed.
There, in the embrace of a clapboard beach house, we spent our days and nights in laughter and tears....often simultaneously. The Laughter of the variety that makes you bend at the waist and pound the table - the kind that leaves your cheeks sore and your stomach aching - The Tears of the cleansing, healing variety. Suddenly the mundane chores of cooking and cleaning, became a dance - choreographed by the Master Dancer Himself....golden and organic.
Coffee, eggs and cinnamon rolls....Scallops and spinach, Shrimp and Grits....Country Ham and Bagels, all were elevated to gourmet cuisine when enjoyed by the sea, at a table large and warm enough for all. Small private chats...group Gab fests.....shared remembrances and an unburdening of souls. Games, Photo sessions, shell gathering, movie watching, the crafting of crowns...days and nights were filled with a joyful purpose of spirit.
Yesterday morning, as we shared our last meal together we found ourselves the Audience as the Creator gifted us with an incomparable show. Dolphins appeared - following a Shrimp Boat. Not the two or three Dolphins that we are all familiar with seeing at the Beach, but 30, 40 or more - too many to count, undulating in the wake of the boat - churning up the water with their presence. Pelicans filled the sky, and shared it with multitudes of Giant Dragonflies and more Butterflies than I have ever seen in one place...orange ones, yellow ones, gracefully riding the wind. The Dolphins must have eaten their fill, because before we knew it, playtime commenced. Leaping, twisting and flipping, they treated us to a show better than any ever seen at SeaWorld or Marineland. Momentarily transfixed, we soon broke into Gasps and shouts and laughter....
What a gift. Not only the Dolphins, but the entire weekend. A time such as I have never experienced.....a time to reflect on the past....a time to embrace the present.....a time to welcome the future. We are the YaYa's.....warrior women - tired but not broken....older but not old.....searching, but not lost.....individuals, but never alone.
My friend Kathryn used this Thomas Wolfe quote to describe our time together...."Peace fell upon her spirit. Strong comfort and assurance bathed her whole being. Life was so solid and splendid and so good." So let it be said.....so let it be done......may it always be so.
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