“Do you remember when....”
Billy Bell, Jimmy Childre, Jr, Will Crawley and I have tons of shared memories. Beginning life together some 57 years ago, we all grew up together in Reynolds, Ga. We went to Sunday School and church together.... and got in trouble together. We went through school together and sat in the same classrooms together. We played baseball together. And basketball. And golf. And anything else we could think of to play.
Our parents were friends. Our grandparents were friends. Our dogs and cats even knew each other. We were fortunate enough to be influenced by the same incredible folks during the most formative years of our lives.
Although we don’t see each other often, our friendship has only become stronger through the years. The truth is it is next to impossible not to be friends with others who share so many memories and have so much in common.
The conversations pick right up from the last time we saw each other. The words flow easy, the smiles are not forced and the laughs come often.
Appropriately, the stated purpose of our get together was to spend the day at the PGA Championship near Atlanta and watch a little golf. Appropriate because we all spent many hours together for many years playing golf on our little 9 hole course in our little town.
Many years ago, a young man from Tennessee moved to Reynolds for a few years to manage our golf course. A lot of our memories at that course include Howard Catron.
Our friendship with Howard never ended either. He and a friend drove over five hours from Tennessee to join us for the day at the tournament.
I suppose there are some days that end and you breathe a sigh of relief and thank God it’s over.
There are other days you wish would never end. But when the great days do end, and they always do, you lie down at night and whisper a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift you have been given.
In this instance - the gift of lifelong friendships.
1 comment:
I'm sure you know Chris Borders is General manager of the Atlanta Athletic Club.
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