From JuJu with Love

(From College Roommates to a Girls’ Weekend Up North)

Some friendships don’t end.

They just go quiet for a while.

When we graduated from college, there was no internet, no email, no cell phones. Life scattered us the old-fashioned way. I moved to Washington, D.C. My college roommates headed to Boston, Canada, and one stayed in Detroit. There was no falling out, no drama — just careers, moves, marriages, and time doing what time does best. We lost touch.

Years later, Facebook and the internet did something quietly miraculous — they brought us back together. And somehow, instead of picking up where we left off, we came back stronger.

Now, three of us live in Metro Detroit. Sherry, Jeanne, and I have created a tradition that feels sacred in its simplicity. Once a month — every month — we meet for brunch, dinner, or a tailgate in Ann Arbor. No matter how busy life gets, that date on the calendar is something I look forward to all month long. And I believe they do too.

Several times a year, Jean and her husband Colin are in town, and they join us. When that happens, it feels like the circle closes perfectly — as if time folds in on itself.

I’ve known these women since I was 18. We’ve lived entire lives in between then and now. Time and space didn’t weaken our friendship — they deepened it. We’ve stood by each other through illnesses, celebrated our children’s marriages, and welcomed grandchildren into the world. We’ve grown up together, apart, and then back together again.

Some friendships are about proximity.

The best ones are about endurance.

These women aren’t my travel friends. We didn’t meet on buses or ships or across continents. We traveled through life together — classrooms, first apartments, early adulthood, distance, marriages, illnesses, celebrations, and time itself. And yet, this summer, we’re doing something new. Sherry, Jeanne, and I are heading north to Traverse City for our very first getaway together.

A girls’ weekend.

Beach. Sun. Sand. Wine tastings. Laughter. Togetherness.

It feels symbolic somehow — like the universe saying, It’s your turn now. After decades of life pulling us in different directions, we’re finally packing a bag together, not because we planned it years ago, but because we’ve grown into it.

We’ve traveled through life side by side, even when we weren’t physically close. This summer, we’ll travel the old-fashioned way — together — carrying stories, shared history, and the comfort that comes from knowing exactly who you’re sitting next to at the table.

Some friendships are forged on the road.

Others are forged by time.

The luckiest ones get both.

From Juju with love 💙💛

From Juju with Love is about stories that start with people I love – and I’m grateful when those stories resonate with the people who inspired them.

When I shared this post with Sherry and Jeanne, this is what Sherry said:

This is really good, Julie; it captures exactly how I talk about us to my other friends and colleagues. 

—Sherry