Old Friends

I spent a couple of wonderful hours yesterday reminiscing with friends.  Tetsu is going to be surprised at the pictures in this post. 

Leiya's host mother from over five years ago, contacted me asking if I was available as she and two of her sons were coming through the area. The last time we saw Bessie and Noah and Tyler was the year Leiya graduated from high school after she had been living with their family for three years.  I think we computed back and figured out that our family had originally become friends with Bessie's family when they were in Japan thirteen years ago!  The family had moved from Ohio and started attending the services at our small, completely Japanese church and two of their sons attended the kindergarten affiliated with the church.  I helped out with translating and interpreting and their family invited us for homemade American style lunches after church. 

Then the family moved back to Ohio and a few years later I contacted them asking about taking Leiya into their home...  for THREE YEARS!  And thus, it was due to this family that Leiya got to America, was able to get a high school diploma, had the opportunity to go to and complete four years of college which led to her now being able to work in Ohio and be on her own.  The Watanabe family owes a lot to Bessie's. 

But though Leiya stayed in Ohio, Bessie's family has moved around in the last five years and now reside in Arizona though there are relatives in California, and it was this trip BACK to Arizona that Bessie and two of three sons were making.  Could we get together? 

Well, Bessie hasn't changed at all, but Noah and Tyler sure have!!!  Tall and good looking!!!  Let's see...  When Noah was going to 1st grade in Japanese elementary school I would translate some of the classroom messages that he brought home to his parents...

"This one is important.  That one isn't.  This one you'd better mark on your calendar.  Throw those away."

I was better at keeping track of Noah's messages than I'd been about my own children's.  With my own, I'd had Takumi read them to me!

And Tyler... He and his middle brother, Caleb (who wasn't in California this summer) went to the kindergarten and between the three of us we taught the class English a Christmas song.

♪♪♪"Christmas is a happy day and we say thank you God..."♪♪♪

ANYWAY...  Bessie drove 6 hours from San Francisco to Grandma's house, and we left Grandma dog-sitting Skippy while the rest of us went out to lunch.  I heard about college studies and upcoming marathons and future plans.  I filled Bessie in on Leiya's and Takumi's accomplishments and what all was going on at the church and kindergarten back in Japan.

Too soon Bessie gathered up Skippy and was back on the road to Arizona...  Another 6 hour trip?

I'm so grateful that Bessie and Tyler and Noah were willing to make the stopover that let us get back in touch with each other.