Sometimes I wish

Since Facebook has become mainstream, I find myself re-connecting with old friends pretty often. I am terrible (really, really terrible) about keeping in touch with people, so it is perfect for me. I can spend a few minutes a day reading about my friends' lives, look through the pictures they post, converse briefly and I really feel like I am in some way connected. At this busy time in my life, I am grateful to have it.

Tonight I found a Facebook page for my old dance studio. I think I danced at Pearland School of Dance with Ms. Marsha for 12 years or so. I have so many fond memories of that little place, and I made some of the best friends of my life there. In fact, my very best friend from my childhood also danced at PSofD. Natalie and I were the best of friends from first grade, up until we got to high school and I stupidly let a dumb boy occupy the majority of my time. We drifted apart, although we still keep in touch, and it still amazes me that great minds still think alike.

Anyway, the thing that I wish is that my girls would have that. The years of friendship with one person, the familiar building where they went to dance or took art classes. Because they won't, not with Jason in the Army.

Sure, they will have other advantages that I didn't grow up with. They will travel the country, learn to adapt from a young age, make friends all over the world and learn about so many different cultures. They will learn lessons about sacrifice, courage and resilience that I didn't even need as a kid.

Right now, I've got wonderful friends all over the world, and I know I will get to move close to some as I move away from others for the next dozen years or so. My very best Army friend used to live just 3/4 of a mile away, and now she is across the country, but the friendship is for life. And that is neat, too.

But still I wish sometimes that my girls could also have that other part of childhood. The part that sticks with them as they grow up to the point that all they have to do is see a movie (Hairspray), hear a phrase (Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects) or visit a Facebook website to be transported right back into childhood.