The Long Road
When you stop and think about it, we don’t get to choose the people around us very often, particularly as kids. We live in the cities, and neighborhoods that our parents choose, attending the area schools as a result. We get involved in the associated community sports, clubs, or activities in which they enroll us, and find ourselves at the churches, BBQs and other places they drive us. And amongst those pre-set social options, we are left with a pool of friends to choose from.
Somehow in that unnatural process of selection, we find real friends. Some we label as good friends, others we call best friends, and some we secretly cherish as frenemies. Through middle school, high school, and beyond, those relationships change. They may fade, grow, stay static or even fall apart. Too often, time and distance become unfriendly, and relationships go quiet. And when they do, how do we get them back?
For me, the answer is often dumb luck. From running into people at events, to finding myself randomly in line grabbing coffee, chance encounters often prompt a text or a call-in hope of making plans to intentionally see each other again. My success at following thru on those encounters has admittedly not been awesome. However, in January 2020, luck began to change while digging for some old photos.
Searching for photos to share with our exchange student from France, I came across some mementos I had collected with my friend Jon. There was a Michael Jordan toddler shoe, a Mezuzah, a bracelet and some other non-printable finds. I laughed, smiled, and grinned broadly looking at these artifacts and the stories they hold. Though I couldn’t tell you exactly when or how we became friends, our time as best friends was glorious, humorous, and full of moments that make lasting friendships. But life happens, and we found ourselves in different pools.
When I saw that baby Jordan, my mind began swimming through memories. From Gull Lake to the Silver Subaru, from family BBQs on Sally Lane to high school dances across town, the shoes represent experiences that I cherish, shaping who I am today.
A month after discovering the shoes, I felt an urge to draw them. Setting out to replicate the shoes first, I decided to add the Mezuzah because our friendship was more than soccer and social time. We shared music from Tracy Chapman to The Samples, and discussed business, history and faith. After seeing those two on the lunch bag, it only made sense to add the location where those memories were born; the Dobrin’s home. Though the lunch bag will likely never hold a lunch, it carries the love, kindness, and open arms of Carol, Stan, Jon, and Benji.
There is more to this story about life and the longevity of friendship. There are hopefully more chapters to be written, and lunch bags to be drawn. But today is simply a chance to say thank you to the Dobrin family; always welcoming, all the time. And to wish them well as they say goodbye to Sally Lane.
