Bulletin Board
Eva Elder of Dryden, Ont., writes, “In 1969, eight girls—tammy, Angela, Candy, Florence Martha, Joyce, Lorraine and I—all attended Grade 4 in Eagle River Public School in Eagle River, Ont. One day, we decided to get together for a sleepover at my house. For supper, my mom Maria (Oma) served spaghetti and a punch made of ginger ale, orange juice and frozen strawberries. We slept in big feather beds. The next morning, she made us French toast for breakfast. That was the beginning of a tradition that has kept going for the past 49 years with very few exceptions. Over the years, we’ve shared everything growing families go through and continue to do so today. We are spread across our great country, living separate lives but secure in the knowledge that, no matter what, a text or phone call can be made for support or just to share a word. Oma has passed on but a small memento she kept dear to her heart remains in the collection of our years together. It’s an envelope containing $13 in change that we girls collected from pennies we saved back in the early years of our gatherings to help pay for the groceries she fed us with. She spoke of it often. In the summer of 2016 we celebrated our 47th year together, the table was laden with a little more than just spaghetti, and the punch was spiked! Joyce made T-shirts and the verse printed on them states, “We made a pact in pjs and featherbeds all in a row, that no matter where we may choose to colour, our hearts would never stray far from each other.” When we gather, our laughter, tears and drama remains uninhibited. The stories continue on as if no time has passed, as though we’d never been apart. We just belong together. We are family, sisters, a part of each other. It is quiet humbling and an honour to have such a circle of supportive friends to go through life with.”