We all have an endless number of childhood memories. I was blessed to grow up in Riverside, a small community designed in 1869! This unique suburb of Chicago has winding roads and majestic homes designed by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright. To this day, it resembles a modern day Mayberry R.F.D., a quaint town with a lot of history.

My best friend from the age of 5 was Ginny and only one house separated us. We grew up together and were adopted by each other’s families. We spent our summers playing on tire swings, building forts and sleeping outdoors in the field behind my house, riding bikes to Swan Pond, or swimming at the local pool. In the evenings, all the kids in our neighborhood would gather in our backyard for a game of Kick The Can or Ghost!

When we reached our teenage years, we attended different high schools. We gravitated toward new friends and moved in separate circles. Once I graduated high school and left for The University of Illinois, I don’t recall seeing Ginny again. Fast forward to last September when I attended my 40th high school reunion… I was speaking to Janice, another close friend of ours from Riverside and she inquired if I was in touch with Ginny. At that moment, I made a mental note to start searching for my long lost friend. I located one of her nephews on FaceBook and asked him to pass on my contact info but didn’t hear from her. Little did I know that God had also placed it on her heart to find me as well.

The evening of June 22nd, my husband and I attended the Glory Concert in Santa Clarita. In route to the venue, I received a text message from my sister Lyn in Chicago saying, “Guess who I talked to from our past?” We exchanged several texts and then she revealed that the mystery person was in fact, Ginny! I could not believe my eyes! After 40+ years, we reconnected the following day and had a lengthy phone conversation. It was as if there was no lapse in time with our friendship. What a blessing for both of us!