There is something precious about the little girls and their summer friends. These friends are more special because they are not ordinary friends from the neighbourhood or school. They are friends to spend time with for a few short days. In some cases the friendship is a one-off thing or in my case it was an annual event.

When I was a little girl in Pittsburg, KS there was a gang of kids in our neighbourhood that spent time together. There were the Kerley kids, the Fitch boys, Beverley Windsor and my brothers and me. I loved and sometimes hated the regular gang. We played together from morning to night. Sometimes we played intricate games of War or Cowboys and Indians. Sometimes we rode our bikes. After supper we played Kick the Can and if we were lucky Mrs. Fitch told us ghost stories in her backyard.

For a few short weeks every summer the Boone kids joined us when they came to visit their grandparents and aunties and uncles. Although Patty and Kathy Boone were petite blonds, they seemed exotic to me. They came from far away and they brought a new excitement to our neighbourhood. I loved them.

Unlike the big girls, Judy Kerley and Beverly Windsor, Patty and Kathy were close in age to me. We played hop scotch and paper dolls. We played board games. We told stories. Sometimes while to boys played War we played Secretary. We established an office in a catalpa tree on the boulevard. We took dictation using the catalpa beans as pencils and writing on the big leaves.

I experienced heartbreak each year when they piled into their car to return home. The magnitude of the pain was equal to the magnitude of the joy at their arrival the following summer.

Eventually my family moved away and the Boones moved to Pittsburg. Our connection continued well into adolescence.

This summer our granddaughter Sullivan has made two special friends. Samantha and Eva qualify as summer friends. The richness of their connections is palpable.

Samantha lives in Edmonton. Her mom is a friend of mine. The girls met once several years ago. They spent a lovely afternoon playing together but did not meet again until recently. When they met at our anniversary party they formed an immediate bond.

Eva lives in Olympia, WA. Her mom is also a friend of mine. The girls met recently on Gabriola Island where they were in a special summer camp called “Dance and Games for Kids.” Eva and Sullivan were inseparable throughout the week.

Sullivan is open to making new friends. She has a generous spirit. She welcomes connection. She seems willing, perhaps eager, to share the intensity of summer friendships.

My heart was full as I watched Sullivan and her new friends. I remembered my own special summer friendships and recalled the warmth of those connections. I was aware of the intensity of these new friendships and the potential for both joy and pain. Summer friends are truly a gift.

© C O P Y R I G H T   2 0 0 7.  Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.