Three Friends

The three of us used to work together at the public library. Susanna was there first then Ann got the children's librarian job after I filled in one summer. Later I took a temporary part-time position joining Susanna at the reference desk, a temporary position I might add that has lasted 16 years.

Being friends with the people you work with is kind of like family. You don't get to pick either one but somehow, most of the time, it just works out.

Ann left the library first to become a library director in a neighboring town. Then Susanna retired. I'm one of the few left from back in the day. Ann recently retired and since I am working half days at school and Wed-Thu at the library, we all have time to get together for a monthly Library Ladies Lunch. Today was such a day.

I look forward to our lunches both to catch up with my friends and enjoy their company and to eat Chinese food at a delightfully abundant buffet. Susanna starts off with little sea food and rice delicacies that she eats with chopsticks. Ann and I fill our plates with chicken, beef, vegetables, mushrooms in sauce...and we eat it with our forks. Second go round always includes soup and salad and an egg roll. Susanna gets some of what Ann & I ate at first. Ann & Susanna get ice cream for dessert. I don't usually eat sugar but I had coffee with lunch today and Ann's almond cookie looked like the perfect compliment to my cuppo Joe. So I got an almond cookie and a little ball of bread that had been rolled in sesame seeds with a gooey glob of fudge in the center. All I can say is YUMM-O!

What do three 60 something ladies talk about over lunch? Grandchildren of course. We each have one grandchild. That's enough for Susanna, but Ann and I are hoping for more. Who will be the first to have a second?

We are all big reader so we talk about the books we're reading. Ann is reading romantic fiction from the early 20th century. Susanna is more of a non-fiction reader and I'm almost exclusively a mystery fan. Right now I am reading HOLD TIGHT by Harlan Coben (listening to it on playaway usually while walking), IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote (listening on CD in the car) and GETTING THINGS DONE: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen (an actual book).

We also talk about our kids and husbands. Susanna's husband is the chair of the drama department at Cameron University, my husband is an attorney/small town circuit judge, and Ann's husband owns his own business (auto repair). Our kids are all grown and have jobs. Ann and I both have daughters who live in Lawton. Ann's son lives in Idaho, Susanna's son & his wife live in Los Angeles, and my other daughter and her husband live in Baton Rouge.

Religion is one topic we don't talk about much. Susanna is a-religious, perhaps deist. On the other side is Ann who is a Unitarian, she believes everything. I'm the normal one in the middle (laugh if you must).

Let's stay away from politics too. Susanna is on the left, I'm on the right and Ann gets to be in the middle on this one.

Friends, we're the same in many ways and different in others. That's more than OK, it's good. I am so thankful for the friends that I have.

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