Welcome, Company Girls and everyone else! Grab a big mug of hot coffee and pull up a chair. Today's Gratitude Friday list also includes a very sweet but longer "Once Upon A Time" story about two young ladies who grew up in the same part of the country. The year was 1976-1977 and they were a couple of the singing beauties in the North Kitsap Middle School 7th grade choir. The girls were standing right next to each other in the middle row but never got to know each other really well. One girl lived in Poulsbo, the other girl lived in Hansville. (about 15 miles apart!)
(click on each picture to enlarge a smidge!)
7th grade choir North Kitsap Middle SchoolThe Poulsbo girl moved away in the spring of her 8th grade year. Not realizing that the Poulsbo girl had moved, the Hansville girl just kept being good friends with the rest of the choir and she graduated from North Kitsap High School in 1982! The Poulsbo girl was forgotten!! (or so everyone thought!)
Fast forward THIRTY TWO YEARS (32 years!!)
The Hansville girl (lady!) got married and had kids. The Hansville girl is now a Spokane lady. And although she never knew what happened to the Poulsbo girl, there might have been some special circumstances that led her to find out what exactly happened to that Poulsbo girl!
The Hansville lady got very interested in blogging and somehow, perhaps by browsing another Company Girl's webpage (who lives also in Spokane!), found Home Sanctuary. One day the Hansville lady mentioned during Company Girl Friday and on her Gratitude Friday list about spring, tulips and daffodils. They're very special bulb flowers that are always found in the springtime in Hansville and Poulsbo. Well, the author of Home Sanctuary wrote the Spokane lady and said that she REALLY misses having daffodils but they don't grow well in Ft. Worth, Texas. She also mentioned that she loves springtime because she grew up in Poulsbo, WA. The Spokane lady screeched when she read that. Someone else grew up in the same part of the country?! (remember, The Spokane lady is the Hansville girl who lived just 15 miles from Poulsbo!)
The beautiful story continues with the Hansville girl contacting the Poulsbo girl and the ladies figured out that they were in middle school together, they'd been in choir together and had had some of the same friends growing up! If the Poulsbo girl had remained there for the rest of her school education, both of them would have graduated together in 1982. And as the Poulsbo girl stated, "perhaps BFF!"
It only gets better! The Hansville girl grabbed the yearbooks and found pictures of them. Look back up to the top of the page to see our own Rachel Anne (Home Sanctuary!) aka Poulsbo Girl on the left and Kerri (Latte' Buddies) aka Hansville Girl on the right. The choir picture has the two girls in the second row up, smack next to each other in the middle.
The Hansville girl and the Poulsbo girl are back in contact after 32 years! Neither of them knew where life had taken both of them. They didn't have a clue about each other. Thanks to technology, the love of Jesus and curiousity, the girls are reconnected! They have talked on the phone a few times, laughing and giggling like girlfriends do. It is just a hoot! Both of their families think they're crazy.
Stay tuned for more recent pictures! Rachel Anne and I will be meeting over Mother's Day weekend in Ft. Worth! The most amazing thing is that we will be living happily ever after with Jesus when we're home in Heaven with Him. What a glorious Company Girl coffee time that will be!!
Gratitude List: finding oldtime friends, having friends from the dorky jr high days and they still love me, Company Girls, beautiful sunshine, teaching most of the week, trials and tribulations that bring us closer to Jesus! What is on YOUR list today?
21 comments:
Um, way to leave me hanging! :P
-Melissa
Stories like that are so much FUN!!
I still cannot believe that we are standing RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, smack dab in the middle of that choir picture! What a hoot!
It is so fun to reconnect with you and such a delight to have found one another in such a "coincidental" way! I love it!
You have made my day, Hansville Girl! :) This really is a small world!
Poulsbo Girl, Rachel Anne
God is good! I am always thrilled to hear how God restores and reconnects our lives!
hugs hugs hugs!
What a neat tale of friendship and faith! It truly is a small world! Only God could orchestrate such a journey of friendship!
Wow that's crazy!! So neat!!
What a neat, neat story! God is so creative in his ways! Enoyed visiting your blog!
Oh fun! Thanks for the story, it put a smile on my face. I kept looking at Poulsbo Girl thinking she looked familiar, he he.
Oh, that's great!
Kerri, that is so cool. I had something like that happen a couple of years ago. We were considering going on a church plant and wanted to get to know the pastor. We went to a Mariner game and through random conversation he found out I went to Seattle Christian School. He asked if I knew Cory! When I asked him how he knew my brother he told me he was his roommate at PLU. I couldn't believe this was the same person I had met in 1988. Of course, we both looked so different that we wouldn't have connected it. I remember him having such good character even back then. We also found out that his best friend was a good college friend of mine and Chris. We ended up going on the church plant feeling that God had been planning this for the past 20 years.
Thanks for sharing your story!
~Cacey
I love full-circle friendships; those unexpected, nearly forgotten relationships that pop up after 30 years, and are sweet blessed surprises in the Big Plan!
I'm grateful for reminders that our past isn't necessarily buried, that betta fish can survive attacks by two year olds, that my generous friends don't look in the corners of my dusty house when they visit, that I found more coffee beans this morning, and finally, that Barnes and Noble delivers via UPS to my house!
That is so neat! The Lord does have a sense of humour the way He brings us together like that, doesn't He?
What an awesome story! I'm so glad you guys re-connected. Isn't God amazing?
Have a great weekend Kerri! We'd love it if you guys come to a service on Sunday. I'm going to the 10:00am service. The others are at 8:30am and 11:30am. If you think of him, please pray for Scott. He has to sing for three services on Sunday and he's still struggling with a horrible sinus infection and a sore throat.
Let's do coffee again soon! :)
-Melissa
I love your story. I had a similar thing happen last week. Some friends I had not seen in 20 years found my on Facebook, it has been great finding out what happen to everyone and reconnecting. These are the times when I love our modern technology.
Have a great Easter weekend.
How fun! The internet is an amazing thing. I'm reconnecting with friends that I had back in grade school. It is amazing to see where life takes us.
Thanks for sharing that story and Happy Easter!
Oh how fun. I had not idea you were gonna say it was Rachel Anne! I am happy to hear you'll get to meet. Keep us posted. I am glad I got a chance to come by today. I miss the daily challenges Hopefully I will be back soon.
Have a Blessed Easter.
Smiles
Sherry @My Journey
this is soooo cool!!!! can't wait to see pics of your reunion!!!! Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday
What a great story. Such a small world in so many ways.
Lydia Cate
That is great! What a fantastic story!
That is so seriously cool! I just love how God works! Thanks so much for the story and the coffee!
D
Okay, I finally got around to reading this post and love it! What a wonderful story!
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