04/20/2026
One of my dearest friendsā35 years and countingāand I share something simple, yet incredibly meaningful⦠our āfriendship ball.ā
For decades, weāve mailed it back and forth across the country, following us through every place weāve called home. Each time it arrives, thereās a little surprise tucked inside. And if something doesnāt quite fit? It just gets lovingly added to the box, waiting for its next journey. Thereās no scheduleājust whenever the moment feels right. In the early years, it traveled every few months. As life grew fullerāwith husbands, children, and all the beautiful chaosāsometimes a year would pass before it found its way back again.
It used to be shiny silver, but somewhere along the way, we decided to let it age⦠to weather naturally, just like we have. Just like our friendship has. Through every season of life, itās endured, grown deeper, and become even more meaningful.
Grateful doesnāt quite capture what I feel. Every time that ball shows up in my mailboxāor I send it back outāmy heart fills in a way only something so simple, yet so sacred, can.
Itās a reminder that the best parts of life arenāt complicated. Theyāre found in family, in friendships that feel like family, in laughter, in loving one another, in showing up for others⦠and in striving each day to be the very best version of ourselves.