Yesterday, my son Charlie posted a picture from his childhood — a picture sent to him by our long-ago neighbor and Charlie’s forever friend, Diane.  And along with the posting  came the most wonderful “conversation” between the two of them!

Diane began by saying, “In life, one of the best blessings a person can have is a Best Friend for Life. I am so blessed to be able to say I have two of those. One of them is Charles M. Howell, IV.  Here we are in this picture from left to right, me, Charlie (as I call him), and my youngest sister Denise. This was mid 60’s. Charlie is still and always will be my first BFF!”

Charlie’s response: “Thanks! Blast from the past! I wonder what we were playing. And who took the picture. But that was the gang. (Your older sister, Debi, wouldn’t have anything to do with us!)”

But then, the conversation got even better — especially when “overheard” by a mom who was, like so many working mothers, a bit oblivious to what the kids were doing when they were told they could “go on out and play.”

Diane: “Yeah, Debi always kept us at a distance. The only time she came around was when you made the Beatles instruments and she got to be John!”

Charlie:  “I was always George, unless we were playing Batman & Robin and the Beatles. Denise didn’t like getting the leftover parts (Ringo or Robin), and sometimes wanted to be James Brown. I don’t think it was very structured. Running around, air guitar, a lot of noise, and a lot of fun. But this looks like we were doing something else.”

Diane:  ” I am holding coloring book and crayons. I remember you would always let me color in your books then scold me if I didn’t color straight.”

The conversation continued for a bit, but by then other people had weighed in with similar memories… I loved every word!  What a strange and wonderful gift to be able to “re-live” part of your own child’s childhood — that part of growing up that adults aren’t normally party to.  But now, we are all adults and we are all looking back with a sort of grown-up childhood wonder.  Thank you for the posts, Diane and Charlie!  It was a rare privilege to re-visit the two of you on Greenridge Road in the mid-’60s!