Microsoft word - square dancing led to.docx

Square Dancing led to ‘Just Friends’ Forever… What can be more important than friendships? They are the source of much happiness and support, much fellowship, much sharing and caring about one another. Since moving to New England, I have been truly blessed to have such a unique group of friends, the original gang being formed 30 years ago. Since then others have come on board as well as left us for various reasons, to where we all number probably about 30 or so. In the beginning, a square dance group was started. We originally had four squares, but as people tired of square dancing, one by one they dropped out and we ended up with only one square. As close as we all had become as friends, we didn’t want to break up our group, so we started planning other activities to keep us together. Now 30 some years later, we do things all year long, having meetings every six months to plan for our next monthly activities. We’ve enjoyed Valentine parties and dances, Halloween costume parties, and there is always our Christmas party, sometimes being blessed with a visit from Santa, but always an exchange of gifts. After all these years, we know there are certain friends that take on annual parties for New Years Day, Super Bowl, and we can count of several couples or singles to carry on the summer cookouts, Memorial Day and Fourth of July. Some live on a lake or have Jacuzzi’s, and outdoor hot tubs. We have shared in progressive dinners, and in the past have enjoyed Stageloft Theater performances with 25 or 30 of us attending at one time! Also in the past, a big hit was a Saturday morning “come in your pajama’s breakfast,” ; we’ve tried a Scavenger Hunt, and enjoy an occasional cookout gathering at Westville Dam in Southbridge. One year we went on a Whale Watch, another time a cruise from Boston Harbor to Provincetown with two-thirds of us feeling a little under the weather, heading directly for the drug store in P-town for Dramamine before we could do any sightseeing! We have watched the “Tall Sailing Ships” in Boston, and celebrated birthdays and anniversaries together. At times several would join together for an unscheduled restaurant dinner treat. We have watched our kids grow up, go off to college, get married, have children. We enjoy a variety of ages from teenagers to senior citizens. For 30 years we have been there in all the stages of life, and of death, for each other. In doing so many fun activities, the end result has been the love and support we feel for each other, the fellowship and caring that will never end. We all know that we will be there for each other no matter what the circumstances, be it divorce, death or diversity. We care and it shows in the things we do for each other in times of sorrow, or times of need; it shows in the laughter and the kidding around because we know we can. We know each other so well that we know we can say or do most anything without worry of rejection. We know each other’s little idiosyncrasies. We know we are safe and loved in this wonderful the circle of our friends.

Source: http://www.dickwhitney.net/Square%20Dancing%20led%20to.pdf