Longest continuous friendship

I've been getting together on a regular basis with Ruthanne for over thirty years. We first met each other through a mutual friend when we both lived in Canton. Even when I moved about an hour away we still made it a point to get together at least once every few months. Somehow we both ended up living in Parma, just minutes apart.

We're getting together tomorrow night for dinner to celebrate her birthday, but just about every time we get together is a celebration of our long friendship.

The things I admire most about Ruthanne are her upbeat spirit and her sense of adventure. She could have plenty of reasons for getting frustrated or discouraged but she doesn't let those things overtake her. There's something about the way we connect that uplifts me. And often something comes up in our conversation that tickles our funny bones and makes us laugh til we cry.

Maybe its because Ruthanne spends her life in a wheelchair, that she loves to pursue the kinds of adventures that literally lift her up out of her chair. Years ago we went to an amusement park together and we rode on all the wildest rides. She's tried adaptive skiing... She gets hauled up the hill on a ski lift, tucked into a little sled and tethered to a skier who guides her down the hill.

She's been para-sailing, hot-air ballooning and even parachuting... yes, jumping out of an airplane, strapped to a guy who had a parachute on.

Nowadays most places are wheelchair accessible, but once in a while we have to find a strapping young man who can gather in his arms and carry her up some stairs. She doesn't seem to mind!

Thanks Ruthanne for the long conversations, the listening ear, the laughter. Thanks for the opportunity to get to know your friends and family. Thanks for that trademark smile of yours. It's contagious! Thanks for enriching my life with your friendship!

Happy Birthday and many more!