Old Friends New Friends

The purpose of this visit to Winnipeg is to meet new babies, make new friends and reconnect with some old ones, and I've been able to do all of that. Earlier in the week I visited with two long-time friends, and oh it was lovely to realize that though it has been several years since I have seen either one, it felt like thirty minutes ago.

Today we went to Lower Fort Garry...me and the 7000 members of my friend's family. Okay, not really, but there were a lot of cousins and siblings and inlaws! It was all great. I appreciated getting to know them all a bit more, for I have certainly heard some of the stories. While I enjoyed the historical parts that I saw (and got a bit frustrated by all the flash photography) I have to say that I enjoyed the innocent antics of children much more. It was a good photographic exercise, but there is just so much joy in kids--and as my new friend said "when it is honest, it is so amazing". The weather was frustrating in some respects; it seemed that every time I pulled out the camera, the rain would come. Put the camera away and the rain would go too. Oh well--it didn't really interrupt our day.

Old friends, memory brushes the same years,
Silently sharing the same fears

Time it was and what a time it was,
A time of innocence,
A time of confidences,
Long ago it must be,
I have a photograph,
Preserve your memories,
Then all thats left you...is old friends.

(Paul Simon)

Here's to you, old friends. You've truly impacted my life.

And here's to you, new friends. I'm looking forward to what will be!