I came home earlier this week expecting to have leftovers for dinner.  But, the leftovers were gone.  In fact, the entire refrigerator had been raided.  The homemade Chex mix Jan had made a few days earlier had been devoured. I was hoping the bread and peanut butter had somehow been spared.

The guilty parties were sprawled out in the living room watching an NBA game.  I ate my peanut butter sandwich without complaint, because I knew the empty refrigerator and dishes piled in the sink that particular night marked the end of an era.  Mitchell’s longtime friend, Alex, left today to assume responsibilities on his recently landed job as an engineer. 

Those two became friends in the third grade at Acton Elementary School.  Their friendship survived middle school and high school.  And, they both ended up completing their degrees at Texas A&M University. The friendship thrived during the college years as well.  Alex departed today, and Mitchell will move overseas to begin his job in a matter of weeks.   It is the end of an era…

By the time July rolls around, I will come home to a full refrigerator.  But, as I think about it, cooking for two doesn’t sound as much fun as preparing a meal for a group of hungry boys.  I am going to miss the empty the refrigerator.  I am going to miss cooking for the entire group.

But, I am proud of Mitchell. He is a loyal friend. The friendships he made at Acton Elementary, Acton Middle School, and later at Granbury High School will likely span a lifetime. 

I suppose there is something in the genes. I am so fortunate to remain close to friends I met in elementary school in Wisconsin, and also friends from both high school and college in Lubbock. This year will mark 50 years of knowing my friends from Wind Point Elementary School. Lifelong friendships are well worth all the investment of time energy.  I wonder if my mother missed the empty refrigerator.  I kind of think she did…