The "Lifers"

I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to reminisce on my college days with overwhelming bliss. No, it was not full of booze and boys or skipped classes and barely passing grades - it was the growth of kindred friendships and side-splitting laughter; of college-age marriages and raw conversations; of usually-clean practical jokes with usually well received repercussions; of promises to never lose touch and the committment to get together for weekend celebrations once the post-college years arrived.

This year's 4th of July weekend was spent in Dustin and Jenny Haferbecker's backyard in Portland, Oregon. Considering their 850 sq. ft. of living space withIN their home, Jenny suggested everyone bring a tent and we would turn the backyard into our own personal campground. Now realize for just a moment that this is a group of individuals coming from Richland, WA, Seattle, WA, Bellingham, WA, and Portland, OR, just to invest in the lives of those they care deeply about. No, there were no great plans for the weekend, but that's usually the case. We all arrive at the agreed location out of absolute faith that each others' company will be the highlight of our weekend - possibly the highlight of our year.

Let's see, there's Dusty and Jenny, Chad and Lindsay, Scott and Holly, Kyle and I (with Katie), Geoff and Amy (with Emily and Ethan), Tim and Leah, Darryl, Dave, Shawn and Holly, Steve and Cindy, Ben and Jessica - most with the intention of not missing out on a 'get together' - wherever and whenever it may be.


That weekend was full of memories such as roman candles wars, a pony keg of only the best microbrew in Portland (we don't do macrobrew except for Rolling Rock), plastic cups with your weekend-use nickname in permanent marker (labeled lovingly by Dusty and Kyle), baby monitors and late nights on the patio, Otto sausages, the chimnea, Tim Dillman humor and naps in the hammock hanging from the cherry tree.


In three weekends from now we will all meet out on the Olympic Peninsula for a weekend away - all the kids will be with their grandparents and the respective parents will be enjoying a couple evenings as non-preoccupied persons nurturing the friendships that have proven to be solid even after the babies were born; the newly-weds will spend their first evenings amongst the group with their "married" status - which means a whole lot of things; the single(s) will still be single, falling victim to harmless verbal abuse about their marital status which they will battle with untouchable wit; and as a community of close knit lives we will continue the practice of loving each other, luckily in close proximity, for three days.

These are the "Lifers" - we'll be committed to each other for the rest of our lives. We'll continue to expect genuine concern, high priority, unconditional love and transparency from each other without question. I hope you can relate.