"Live fast, die young, and have a good looking corpse."

 

“Live fast, die young and have a good looking corpse.”

(a quote from Nicky Romano in Knock on any Door.)

Too late, way too late! My 91^st is rapidly approaching. Not only my birthday, but 3 days later the birthday of my oldest friend, oldest in age and also oldest in longevity of the friendship. We’re approaching 91 and the friendship is approaching 84.

The following poem was written for our 81^st birthdays. We grew up in Wisconsin, famous for cheese and brutally cold winters. The freezing temperatures didn’t deter the teachers from sending the kids out for recess. Because of the severe temperature, ice skating on the pond on the playground wasn’t feasible, we were directed to walk around the city block on which our school rested. Because there was the danger of a child slipping on the perpetual January ice and falling, there was the necessity of a walking partner. The partner could report the accident, thus avoiding the tragedy of a frozen child.

So, the following poem describes how we met.

    It was an icy cold January in 1935.
    The start of a friendship no writer could contrive.
    Two special babies were born three days apart,
    In the same hospital and that was the start.

    Fast forward to January 1942.
    This was the beginning of World War Two.
    The weather was cold - they needed to walk as a pair
    One with shiny dark and one with light colored hair.

    One little girl stopped to pick up a rubber band
    And the other little girl didn't quite understand.
    "One said we need to save rubber because of the war."
    The other said "It sounds dumb - I never heard that before."

    Another January in 1947 and the same girls - silly and talking
    When they should have abandoned the bus and started walking.
    They made it home in spite of snow drifting up to their knees.
    It had become cold - the temperatures falling to 18 degrees.

    Surviving this ordeal made them both confident and strong.
    They knew they would be able to handle whatever came along.
    The years flew by, first loves, heartaches, marriages - and all this
    was shared,
    By the women who were the two little girls who walked as a pair.

    It's January 2016 and the two special babies are turning 81.
    These special women wonder where the years have gone.
    At 81 not much seems better of which they're aware,
    Except for the wondrous friendship of two little girls who walked
    as a pair.

This second poem, I wrote for our 87^th birthdays.

    How can this be? Another year gone by,
    And we're 87! This said with a sigh.
    It's amazing to be friends for so many years,
    And to share so many laughs and a few tears.
    When I'm down you don't need to hold my hand,
    I only need to call and I know you'll understand.
    I never did figure out the lights in my car.
    Never found a hairdresser who made me a star.
    But I did the best thing anyone could do,
    I found the most wonderful friend in you!
    Aging is hard - I'm losing my teeth and you your hair,
    But remember at heart we're still two little girls who
    walked as a pair.

Henry’s comment: Wow, she really IS older than dirt!