Erudite Book Club 2019, Sundance. Back row left to right: Julie Treadwell, Lori Munk, Cathy Duffin, Virginia Bryson, Shelley DeVries, Shirleen Saunders, Debbie Herburg, Ann Lewis, Front row left to right: Kristy McDowell, Lori King, Shauna Gustafsson, Lori Weintz, Stephanie Hofeling. Missing Nicki Nebeker and Jan Kocherhans.
This week is our 35th Book Club Birthday! The photo above was taken 2.5 years ago at Sundance. Below is a photo of our group in 1992.
Having been away from my friends for some time, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much these friendships mean to me. I didn’t know these girls well 35 years ago. We were young and mostly single. We had careers. Some had boyfriends. Some had husbands. Many were school teachers. I’d returned from living in Nigeria and I was working as a magazine editor in Salt Lake. We were young and our futures were filled with wonderful dreams.
Somehow, we all landed together in this little group, which would endure all the ups and downs of life–births and deaths, marriages and divorces, sicknesses and calamities–and all sorts of other traumas and dramas. We’ve read and discussed hundreds of books and solved even more problems, together. It’s been a miraculous thing.
It’s interesting to me that although I didn’t specifically choose each of these friends, they have become my dearest friends. How does that happen? We have spent time together, we have listened to each other, we’ve cried together and we have loved each other.
It makes me wonder if the same would happen in any group of people with common interests. If we spent time together and if we listened and if we loved, I have the feeling that we would become the dearest of friends. Perhaps that’s what heaven will be like when time is no more and we can just be with others. I have a feeling we will develop dear and eternal friendships there with just about everyone. What a delightful thought!
Below is the first book club invitation that was sent out 35 years ago in 1987.
Here are a few photos from our first year’s scrapbook:
This particular evening was especially memorable, as we discussed “A Midwife’s Tale,” I went into labor and the next day Claire was born!
We look forward to meeting on the first Thursday evening of each month. This week we celebrated our 35 years together. We are older now and this month’s book was “Being Mortal,” which describes the aging process and how to best assist the elderly. We are moving toward being the elderly. That’s hard to believe.
Several weren’t able to make it this week, but the rest of us had a great celebration. Friendship is always a celebration. These are some of my dearest friends.
