I first posted here about my dear Club Deb friends in 2015. We are a group of friends who’ve been palling around ever since we were young wives and moms raising our kids in the same small town. If the friendships I write about in my novels seem idyllic, these gals are the reasons why. Loving, caring, thoughtful, selfless, kind, supportive…those are just a few words that describe these beautiful women.
We’ve been friends in various combinations for close to thirty years, and Debbie A (beside me in the photo below) was our backyard neighbor for many years, but I think this is the first photo we have with all six of us together in 2004.
Here we’re celebrating my 50th birthday at YiaYia’s in Wichita. Left to right, Debbie J, Deb B, me, Elaine, Bev, and Debbie A.
With our husbands in 2007:
And more of Club Deb through the years. It’s fun to watch our hairstyles (and color), fashions, and weight (ugh!) vary as the years go by.
Even though I moved away from Kansas where all the Debs still live, Club Deb is going strong, and last week, four of the Debs made their way to Missouri to spend a few days at our house! I can’t tell you how good this was for my heart! (We so missed our Deb B who couldn’t join us this time.)
We packed so much into two and a half days! We walked on my favorite trails, sat on the screened porch and solved the problems of the world, ate at some favorite restaurants, antique shopped till we dropped, sipped hot cider around the firepit, milled flour and made homemade bread, stayed up late playing Mexican Train in our PJs… We even got tattoos! (Don’t worry! The tats were temporary—but these friendships are forever.)
Part of the secret to our enduring friendship is that we have so much in common—husbands we adore, precious children and grandchildren, similar interests and beliefs. But there are many things we don’t share in common, yet still we remain friends. The one thread that binds us together literally forever is the strong faith in Christ we share.
I’m so grateful for the new friends God has put in my life since we made the move to a new state, but there’s something incredibly precious about these friendships that go back so many years and our shared history.
I’d love to hear about your longtime friendships. What do you think are the secrets to sustaining friendships over the decades?
Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver and the other’s gold.”
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What a blessing to have such dear friends, Deb! Most of the friends I was closest to when my kids were small have moved away and over time we’ve lost touch. However, as I moved into writing, I’ve met some wonderful friends who share my passion and I treasure these relationships, even if they are mostly online. When we do get together in person, though, it’s a wonderful treat.
I treasure my writing friends too, Karen. There’s just something about sharing an understanding of what it takes to write a novel and an empathy for what it’s like to be part of the publishing world. 😊
Great pictures! What a wonderful Friendship!
My close friends through the years are people who have things in common. Some are from high school/college, some from the military, some from teaching, some from church, some from the neighborhood. Some friends I have met online through reading groups I have participated in. When I look at all of these groups and think about what we share in common, I narrow it down to love of family, love of God, and love of reading!
I love the way you narrowed it down, Betty: Love of family, God, and reading. Those are some great things to have in common!
LOVED seeing glimpses of your days with Club Deb! And I love that you gals are still going strong after so many years (and hairstyles, etc… as you said, LOL). Every friendship is a gift from God but, as you shared, the longer lasting friendships are special treasures. Which is what you are to me! Along with so many other of our writing buddies.
I was just thanking God last for our community group (made up of seven couples from three Nashville churches) who has been meeting together for over 8 years now. Those gals and guys are so special to us, and we love the bond we share. Again, God’s abundant blessing nature on display. ; )
Oh, so true, Tammy! It’s hard to believe our friendship has been going over 20 years now! So precious! And I love that your community group has been going for that long too. Just imagine the friendships in heaven! It boggles my mind…in the very best way!
Deb–I love your Club Deb and all the fun you’ve had over the years. I’ve learned that it takes a concerted effort to keep up relationships. I have a “Slumber Party” planned at the lake next summer for three of my high school best friends. We live across the country…Oregon, Montana, and Texas. We will stay up late. Read (out loud) entries from our back-then diaries…and laugh ourselves silly. (I know, because we’ve done this before!) We might even sing the school song! Old friends are the best friends.
But, I love new friends, too.
Oh, that sounds like a blast, Roxy (to use our 70s jargon). I’m delighted that you’ve gone from new friend to oldie goldie over the years we’ve been friends!