Just been listening to the chart of 1978 on the radio and it dawned on me that is was 40 years ago tonight that I met my future husband in the Post Office pub in Liverpool.
Long dark hair, both of us, denim shirts, cheese cloth tops and Wrangler jeans were the uniform of choice back in the day, we went on to get married and have three gorgeous boys. Although our marriage didn’t last our friendship did and is as strong now as it ever was.
Forty years is a long, long time. The twenty year old me had no clue what the world was about. All the people we loved were still alive, we had yet to feel the pain of loss, and we had the future at our fingertips.
I wonder what that girl would say about the person she has now become? I think she will be disappointed that I didn’t travel the world, as she thought she would,, but at least I did move away from my home town, which was always her plan. She always planned to change the world, one way or another, right wrongs, fight the fight, well I think I can say I have given it a good shot. At twenty I thought I knew what I wanted, in hindsight I had no clue.
I am grateful for our friendship, this man and I.  There are not many people who have known me as well for as long. I think of him these days as a brother, certainly as family, and I know we are the lucky ones.
So, sitting here, having had the most mixed up six months ever I am reflecting on the past. Back to a time of rock music, beer and trips to Amsterdam. Back to a time when we had little money but plenty of energy. Camping trips in the transit van, friends piling in for a weekend of fun.  Then we had the sadness of loss, we faced it together, holding tight to new babies while trying to make sense of the fear of realisation that we were now the grown ups.  Then later, working through our differences to come out the other side firm friends forever. Our new lives, partners and new babies all mix together in one big blended family. My go to person, for forty years, would still run and help if I needed him too.
Christmas times spent together, now we share our gorgeous Granddaughter, who will grow up knowing that family is made up of people who love you, and you can never have too many of them.
So, forty years down the line, real life is different that expected, I think that is probably true for most people. I am however celebrating this anniversary today is the day I met the brother that isn’t a brother, and the forever friend tied to me through memories and children, through thick and thin. I shall raise a glass tonight to those young hopeful people, with long dark hair and smiling faces. It has turned out ok in the end, they are doing alright.