I will always and forever treasure those moments, especially the ones with my mom and me. She passed away not so long ago and just seeing these pictures of your mother and you remind me of how close her and I were and how she was always part of the landscape. It's funny how things are started, slowly and over time, a tradition is born. I really like that second picture where she's giving you the sideways look as if to say what the heck are you doing? She's such a beautiful woman and you and her share so many of the same features/looks and moments.
Spending time with friends is great therapy. Spending time with someone who can walk away for 10 years and walk back into your life like they were never gone is amazing. I have always wondered about this phenomenon, and yet I have experienced it myself. I know that a true friend will always be in your heart no matter how long or how far they are. Their love will reside forever.
I love your dinner Club and can honestly say that we had something similar but true, it was some of the most fabulous evenings in my life and we did themes also. Perhaps that's the part of me that never wanted to grow up. We did high tea and had to dress in full formal and while that sounds like a lot of trouble I can honestly say it was a hoot! Oh! We speak American so maybe you will not find this funny or understand this, or understand the funny in it, but we all have to speak with a British accent at the high tea. Did I mention that there is wine before the it? Or after? But truly, the British accent was much better if we had one before.
You paint such a beautiful picture of love and laughter and friendship. He gives me a warm fuzzy just looking through those pictures and knowing that you were sharing your moments. Fun and laughter, silliness. It didn't matter. It was that bonding moment, the closeness felt, the love, the laughter. There's so many things involved. And if by chance, any one of those people walk back into your life oh, it will be like they never left.
As an aside, when we did our dinners, sometimes we did Progressive dinners, where two or three people were involved and we would do the hors d'oeuvres at one house, the mean dinner at another house, and dinner and after drinks at another house. Of course this only works if you live close , and some of us did. Some of that time was when we were all in college and had apartments and lived close and some was after when we were a little bit more established, always and forever it was fun. And yes, it will always be those moments however big however small that melts my heart. Thank you for reminding me that Love is All Around.
!tip