Keep it real Wednesday
December 30, 2020
90 years of friendship
A few days ago, Rosemary’s best friend Joy called and they had a nice chat.
Joy Muldoon is otherwise known as Sister Anne Cecile, a lifelong Ursuline Nun in Cleveland. Joy and Rosemary have talked on the phone every month for as long as I can remember.
They giggled, told stories and at one point I heard Rosemary say “Joy, how long have we been friends?”. “I think we first met when we were 5 years old, is that what you remember?”.
I heard Joy on the other end of the phone “Yes Rosemary, I remember that day well, I was five years old”
In 2021, they will be celebrating 90 years of friendship as they both turn 95.
How many friendships last 90 years?
Their lives took vastly different paths but their childhood bonds of living on 44th Street in Cleveland and attending St. Patrick’s church together will forever be the bond that unites these two Irish gals.
After they finished their call, Joy asked to speak to me.
She said “Jill, when it is Rosemary’s time to go, please call me and I promise to have one of the nuns do the same for Rosemary”. “None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We have had a lot of laughs but I know God has created a fine place for us in heaven too”.
After I hung up, I thought about the last time Joy and Rosemary saw each other in person. In 1994, I flew Rosemary back to Cleveland for her 60th 8th grade class reunion. At that time there were about a dozen left from their class. I snapped a picture of the unruly bunch who talked through the mass and I had to shush a few times. This was her posse, her very best friends from childhood.
There are only two remaining in this picture, just Joy and Rosemary.
When the time comes, what a rowdy reunion that will be in heaven.
(Rosemary is in the dark suit and pink blouse; Joy has the bright blue suit and white blouse)
