From JuJu with Love

Some friendships just stand the test of time.

Today I spent the day with two of my friends (former coworkers) from my Washington DC days in my 20s. Ann and I hadn’t seen each other in at least 25 years, and somehow we picked up right where we left off. Donna and I have managed to see each other a few times over the years since she only lives about 90 minutes away, but today was the first time the three of us had all been together again.

We spent hours with their husbands, walking through the Henry Ford Museum, looking at inventions, exhibits, and pieces of history — and honestly, laughing like no time had passed at all.

One of my favorite moments of the day was finding an old MTV exhibit at the museum. Of course the three of us immediately jumped in front of it for pictures.

And as we stood there laughing, it hit me that our friendship began around the same time MTV did.

Decades later, all three of us were still together — older, grayer, wiser… but somehow still the same people underneath it all.

Afterward, we headed for lunch at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn and settled into one of those conversations that only happens with people who knew you during such a formative time in life. We talked about our first jobs, our old office in DC, the friendships we built there, and all the ridiculous stories from our 20s.

At one point we started talking about two former coworkers and dear friends who have recently passed away, and I said, “Jim would absolutely love that we’re sitting here laughing and telling stories about him today.”

At another point we looked at each other and said, “We really need to plan a reunion before we lose anyone else.”

It sounds a little heavy written out like that, but in the moment it actually felt hopeful — like a reminder not to let another 25 years slip away before we all sit around a table laughing together again.

And I think that was my favorite part of the day.

It was such a good reminder that true friendships really do stand the test of time. You don’t have to talk every day or see each other regularly to still care deeply about one another and instantly reconnect.

It was the perfect day of friendship, memories, laughter, and nostalgia in the very best possible way.

At lunch, when we started seriously talking about planning a larger reunion for our old DC crew, Ann laughed and said to me, “You’re still ‘Julie McCoy’ — always planning the get-togethers.”

Then she turned to her husband and said, “Julie always loved planning things, and we always loved doing whatever she planned.”

And honestly? Thirty years later… apparently not much has changed. 😜

I don’t want another 25 years to go by before we do this again, so now I’m determined to plan a bigger reunion with the rest of our old DC crew sometime soon.

Tonight I am lying here wide awake thinking about:

the people we were in the 80s and 90s,
the lives we built,
how quickly the decades disappeared,
and how some friendships somehow pick right back up like no time has passed at all.

Today was really good for the soul.

From Juju with love 💙