Dear Friends,

I am one incredibly lucky soul as I have friends I have known for decades. We’ve stayed connected through time and space. Sometimes we don’t see each other for months and then we connect . . . and it’s as if we never parted. Now, this is not true of all my friends. Some come into my life and for a period of time, we have a connection, and then it’s gone.

Perhaps my experience is similar to yours when I describe friends with whom with whom there is a deep and abiding connection that is hard to explain. I just know it’s there, and I’m grateful for it. Isabel Allende is credited with this insightful comment, “True friendship resists time, distance, and silence.”

The other day, I was sitting at an airport waiting to board my flight. Two older people sitting next to me were chatting. From their conversation, it appeared that they had known one other for many years. One was lamenting that he could not do all physical things that he used to do when he was younger. His voice rising, his friend reminded him that even when something is no longer possible (he was a competitive cyclist), it doesn’t mean nothing is possible. Sometimes, it takes a friend of many years to nudge us out of our sense of sadness/despair/boredom and remind us that we have a choice after all to pursue things that are possible.

We are featuring an interview with Rose Miclat who happens to be among my favorite relatives. Among other things, she talks about her group of friends, all members of a church choir. They have known one another for years, and sometimes travel together. Enjoy her story!

Let me close by extending warmest wishes to you and yours for a healthy and interesting 2024!

Best,
Cora