Everyone has a story...

Every month I spend an evening with the "old ladies." A few years back some friends introduced me to Bunko - they gathered with kind of a funny mix of (at the time) mostly old ladies and had dinner, gabbed and played Bunko. Since then I have heard of more and more Bunko groups, and I do have to say that ours is quite low maintenance. There aren't any big winnings or prizes, no substitutes or drama. It's just low-key and fun. Seuao calls it the "old ladies" even though it's only about 50% old ladies now. Regardless, it's something I really enjoy and it's a nice break.

Well, last night we were eating dinner, and I was talking to one of these "old ladies" a little bit. They all were buzzing about my new baby and how close these kids are going to be in age. Well, Fran was telling me about her boys. She had her first son, then 9 months later had her second (who was delivered 4 months premature) - this was in the 1960's when medicine surely wasn't as advanced as it is now, and this son who was barely one pound when born thrived and became a football player and enlisted in the Air Force. He ended up passing away in a plane crash about 20 years ago while on-duty.

These are just surface details of a life that I knew nothing of. I have known Fran for years now, and had no idea that she had been through these kinds of things. It got me thinking that there are SO MANY people around me who have stories of their own. I need to take the time to listen to them and learn from them. There is much that I can gain from their experience and wisdom.