Generations of friendship

Me: "Boys, open these cards", as I sort the mail.

17: opens one of those photo cards and just says "wow".

14: looking over his shoulder, "who's that?"

17: "It's soandso from Tampa, can't you read?!" (what do you want? he's 17!)

14: "Wow, we haven't seen them in a while! Look how big the kids are."

17: "We need to go visit them."

14: "Yeah, we really should."

I realize this sounds trite but it warmed me to the bottom of my toes because this is a family friendship that has crossed generations. They were looking at a picture of the family of my mom's best friend's daughter. Relax, I'll do that again, slower this time. My mom (who passed away years ago) always kept in touch with her best friend (BF) from high school. BF lived in Tampa and we grew up in Virginia. The two families visited each other over the years, when I moved to Miami, I continued visiting them in Tampa and actually hubby met my mom for the first time at a Thanksgiving when we all convened in Tampa at BF's house. BF had two daughters who's weddings I went to with my hubby and kids and I continued the friendship and visiting with them even after my mom passed away. A few years ago BF passed away too. I have kept in touch with her husband and her kids who now also each have two children of their own. One of them has twins, which we went to visit when they were only 7 weeks old and took care of them for an entire weekend to give the immediate family some needed rest (but that's a whole 'nother post). So, it was heartwarming to me that my boys of their own volition want to stay connected and visit them. That it's not 'those people that our parents always took us to go see'. They genuinely want to see and spend time with them. Only time will tell how long this bond will last between the families but I think 3 generations is pretty cool. Especially considering that the original link; the two moms are no longer with us. They did something right! :) THANKS to both of you. Think of you often and luvyalots!