Connie signing one of her picture books at Joseph Beth Booksellers

Yesterday, I traveled to Cincinnati to visit Connie, my dear friend of many decades. The drive was long, but I never mind making it.

Connie and I met when we were teaching fellows in the dance department at the University of Michigan. She was so incredibly gorgeous that I was sure we’d never become friends! But she turned out to be a beautiful person on the inside as well, and she had a terrific sense of humor. We became good friends who shared a passion for dance.

Post-graduation, we commuted together to the dance company we’d joined in Detroit. I think it was those daily commutes that drew us especially close. This was a period of enormous turmoil for me. Desperately unhappy in my marriage, I’d had an affair and contemplated and then followed through on leaving my first husband.

At the time, I had a small child and my entire extended family united in their stern disapproval of me.  One family member announced I was “an example of poor moral development.” Racked with guilt and shame, I felt well… lower than low. It was Connie who listened and didn’t judge and helped me get through what was one of the most difficult periods of my life.

Yesterday, I reiterated to her how important she had been to me and continues to be. We have seen each other through losses and family challenges and wonderful events like the arrival of our awesome grandchildren. (And amazingly, in our post-dance lives, we both became writers!)

I am so thankful to have such a dear and constant friend.

And I’m grateful that we are both still here, so that I can tell her how important she’s been in my life. She is a treasure!