Reunited and It Feels So Good...

I was excited and nervous.  Excited to finally be seeing Laura after so many years and a little nervous that our reunion might not live up to my expectations.  We've been in touch online for over a year now and have found many things we have in common.  I was twenty-one the last time we saw each other ...and she was nine.  Now we are sixty and forty-eight...with a lifetime of experiences behind us.  What if we turned out to be two strangers?  I was also going to be meeting her husband and two sons - my great nephews.  How would that go?

Laura and Aunt Gail

The short answer is that it went well.  Laura and I started talking when I got in her car at the airport...and didn't stop until we tearfully waved goodby at the same airport four days later!  We did errands together, stayed up late together, played on our laptops together, all the while talking...about the past, the present, feelings, family, problems, good times, bad times, the future...and more.  We were like peas in a pod...being with her felt more like being with a daughter than a niece.  The love that was between us thirty-nine years ago has blossomed into a very special relationship. 

As for the men in her life - Laura's husband Martin is a really nice guy with an easy smile and he went out of his way to give us lots of alone time. The boys, John and Eric, are bright and fun and, although it took them some time to warm up to me, we were getting comfortable by the end of the visit. While I was there Eric turned nine, so I got to meet friends and be part of the celebration.  I am looking forward to getting to know the guys better.

It was hard to say good by...especially to Laura.  I plan on racking up up those frequent flyer miles visiting often!