Scattered Kindred Spirits

We've all read Anne of Green Gables, right? Well, Anne was a better finder of kindred spirits than I am. Or was for 40 years.

To back up a bit... Tom and Naomi went online two years before I did. Me? I just sat here and scoffed at the whole idea. Just assumed that half of the people online only talked about the technical world of computers (blech) and the other half spread vulgar spam like Hansel and Gretel spread bread crumbs.

Then one by one my old friends from way out West began calling me and prattling on and on and on about the joys of being online. I'd take the phone away from my ear, stare at it and shake my head. "Daft. They've all gone daft."

But to quote Sally in It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:

"Oh, what a fool I was!"

Along came the horrible summer of 2000 (don't ask) and finally that September I felt like I had nothing to lose. Never a joiner, and always a vocal snail mail advocate, I nonetheless gave-in, gave-up and joined the crowd online.

I've never looked back.

Almost immediately I discovered an amazing collection of kindred spirits all in one place. Well, they were scattered throughout the world, but here, online (of all places!) I finally found many other old-fashioned, merry souls such as myself.

I became a charter member of a group of women who read Gladys Taber's books (I had never met another human being who had even heard of Gladys and suddenly I belonged to a whole group who loved her books). We also enjoyed activities like decorating in retro and Victorian ways, gardening, caring for pets and all the many facets of home arts, including finding joy in simply being homekeepers, wives and mothers.

And well, it's hard to explain, but finally I felt like I could sigh happily and say, "What a relief. I'm not as odd as I've believed I was all these years. There are many other people out there very much like me."

Four years later, our Gladys Taber group has grown, both in numbers and in friendship. We have birthday parties online. We share prayer requests for our families and take pretend trips online to other countries. We share titles of books we have loved. We are there for each when we lose those we love and we rejoice in the birth of each new grandchild. And we even 'built' our collective Dream House online in pictures, one where we visit together when real-life gets rough. (If we are all insane, at least we're in good company and are having a marvelous time.)

Yesterday while I addressed Christmas cards to these ladies (we have a card and gift exchange each year) I looked out the window and smiled. I felt like a school girl all over again addressing Valentines for her classmates. I'll feel the same giddy way as I wrap a gift for the person whose name was drawn from the proverbial hat for me. Child-like delight in sending simple surprises in the mail--all mine again at this stage of middle life.

Friends do keep us young. Good friends, that is. The kind you can never have too many of. The kind you just might find in the oddest places--but only if you keep your eyes and ears and heart open.

I only regret that my stubborness and close-mindedness blinded me for awhile. But I learned a lesson, one which has spread to other areas of my life. And a good lesson learned is a good lesson learned. Regrets will only spoil and tarnish it.


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