August 8, 2010. Western Head, N.S. Old Friends.

You can't beat old friends, the ones who knew you when you were young in the Fifties. Now four friends are visiting us here in Nova Scotia. We grew up together in Toronto and married around the same time. Over the years, we always kept in touch, although often we lived in other places and were involved with our own busy lives. For several years, even though we knew what they were doing from other friends and relatives, our lives did not mesh. This was especially true when the children were growing up. But now our children are grown and independent, so we are able to spend time together. Over the past few years, we have discovered we still like each other, so Bill and Marg and Don and Doreen have driven from Toronto together in Bill's car, taking two days to do it and will stay the week.

We are all children who were brought up in The Salvation Army, most of us parents of Officers, so we have shared histories and experiences. And we discovered tonight at dinner that all the folks who were friends all those years ago are still married. Not a divorce in the bunch. Another topic of conversation was the benefits for a child and young person of being brought up in the Salvation Army world. It was the joy of service and activity and the training to speak and sing and play an instrument. Although Bill never did learn to play a brass instrument or sing. He claims to have no musical talent.

Another topic of conversation was the foolishness of several of our once good friends who have chosen to ignore the rest of us, never attending any event or keeping in contact. Perhaps they never did like us and merely pretended to be a friend. It is a puzzle. But we are all here and we are all having a wonderful time, talking about the past and the future. Friends are a great blessing.