There were multiple :) all at the same restaurant, and with the same people.
My sister Erica and her daughter Terra were most frequently present. With occasional appearances by my sister Gwen and her kids Thomas and Ruby.
What made it amazing was that Erica and I, for the first time in our lives, had a chance to bond. I'm the oldest and she was the youngest for her first 14 years. We are only 3.75 years apart but our paths through childhood and adolescence kept us separated. I had long since given up hope that we would ever have a chance to get to know one another, much less to become friends.
Back story: Sunday's are our local farmers market. Erica is a regular shopper there. I happened to be working at the library on Sunday's for part of the last year. One day on my way out of the library I watched Erica pull into a parking spot. Terra was sleeping so I babysat in the car. After chatting we realized that we could meet up on purpose on Sundays. I'd watch Terra while Erica shopped and then we'd do lunch.
Seasons later we are still meeting up of lunch when it works out. Only now I don't need to watch Terra sleep in the car and I'm no longer working on Sundays. We no longer restaurant hop. We always meet up at Avila's on the back porch.
Spacious patio seating. Fresh air. Margaritas. Sharing a soup and salad. And time to chat. Time to bond.
The best part is the relationship that we have built. I am so very thankful and grateful for the time I've spent with her in the last year. So thankful for the trust and understanding that we now have. We may never see eye to eye but when push came to shove with my Dad's 5 week stay in the hospital in early 2010 I was so grateful to have that trust to fall back on. A year ago, it would not have been so.
Erica holding Julia in 2000. Erica wrote and read a poem to Julia as we planted Julia's placenta.
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