Old friend, new life

This weekend, two couples we are friends with will be getting married. Unfortunately, these weddings are hours and hours apart, and my husband is the best man at the one in South Bend (I'll talk about that one next week, when I have pictures), so we'll be missing David & April's wedding in Carmel. I'm so, so bummed.

Once-upon-a-time, when I had just moved to Indiana, I started 7th grade at Clay Junior High. By the time I signed up for classes that summer, most of the electives were full, so I ended up taking two trimesters of Newspaper class. It was in this class that I met David.

Our paths and stories crossed many, many times over the next 6 years through junior high and high school. We'd have classes together. We'd go on the same church retreat. We pass each other in the halls. We were 'old friends' who never really hung out, but stayed in touch (without Facebook?! How is that possible?!) At the end of senior year, we ran into each other & went out for coffee to catch up, and share about where our stories have taken us thus far. Different paths, but still friends.

Thanksgiving break of my freshman year at college, I ran into David & his friend Jon (now a good friend!) at Best Buy. During Taylor's J-term, I went to visit him at Ball State. I heard the story of a major roommate swap after first semester, one that all parties were much happier with, & met Dave's new roommate. At the end of spring semester our freshmen year, David & his roommate came to visit me at Taylor. Early that summer, the three of us got together again & went to dinner and putt-putting.

Yes, David was setting me up with his roommate.
And, yes, it worked.
Three years later, minus a couple weeks, I married David's roommate Josh. (We had a roommate swap. Josh became MY roommate. :-P )

Fast forward another three years, minus a couple weeks, and it's David getting married this time.

A week ago, I made a trip up to Muncie to see April's senior art show. It was fabulous. She painted vintage portraits as a study in fully-clothed seductiveness, to show women could be sexy without undressing them. I loved the concept of the show, celebrating beauty-with-modesty, female beauty in the face, without the need to be scantily clad. Women don't need Botox or comestic surgery or microdermabrasion to be beautiful. The show was beautiful.




My friend David, the proud fiance, at the show:


The artist April:


Talking to visitors:


I'm so disappointed I'm going to miss celebrating with this couple as they take the next step in their life together. I wish them all the best, and know they have many beautiful, exciting adventures ahead!