Pure Gold

One of my oldest friends, Nancy Downey Bustamante, and her husband Carlos, were in town from Atlanta last week, and came out for dinner.  Nancy and I go way back—back to 1968, in fact, 46 years ago. I remember the day we met, in the parking lot of St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Sandy Springs, GA. My family had just moved to Atlanta from the NYC suburbs, and we knew no one. Nancy’s dad, Jack Downey, approached us with an outstretched hand, saying he and his family had been down South for several years, but that they hailed from Baltimore. Atlanta was an interesting place to break into, friendship-wise. The fabled Georgia hospitality largely consisted of EVERYONE saying “y’all come back now.” It took us awhile to realize that most of them didn’t really mean it. But the Downeys from Baltimore meant it, and so began an alliance of the two families that spanned decades, births, marriages, and deaths. 

 

Nancy at my wedding, 1977

Mom and Anne Downey were very close friends, and I vividly remember looking out the window as they returned from many a lunch-and-shopping outing. They’d continue gabbing in the driveway, sometimes for an hour or more.  The girls, Nancy and Molly, were primarily friends of my sisters Mo and C, respectively. It wasn’t till Mo’s death in 1981 that Nancy and I became really close. Molly and C were always peas in a pod, both sweet kids, both younger siblings, both gifted artists. 

Fast forward to 1984. Nancy and I were pregnant at the same time. Sheridan was born May 19th. Two weeks later, Nancy called me and described some symptoms she’d been having that I instantly recognized as labor. Sure enough, just hours later, along came Tripp. When Nancy lived for awhile in Fanwood, NJ, I’d often take my toddlers up to visit with her toddlers, Tripp and Nina. Back in Atlanta, Nancy had Jack, her third child, a mere three months after I had PJ, my fourth. As they grew, the children became friends too. Tripp performed at our Rehoboth Summer Children’s Theatre one year when he was in college. Jack and PJ had adventures—a trip to Hilton Head, SC; a sleepover when a tornado hit Nancy’s house and they had to go down to the basement.  

Tripp and Sher, age 3

 At dinner the other night, we shared so many memories.  There were eight of us around the table, but the ghosts of Anne, Jack, Mom and Dad were there too. And as we talked about them, they seemed close enough to touch. We aren’t family, the Downeys and the Cunninghams, but then again maybe we are. 

Who are your oldest friends? Who do you consider family? Are you lucky enough to have heart-connections that span much of your life?  As the Girl Scout song reminds us: “Make new friends, but keep the old/ one is silver and the other gold.” I truly hope that you have both.  

I treasure all my friends, silver and gold. Downeys, you are pure gold.