A Night Out! (without kids!!!)

Yes, believe it or not, tonight I went out without the children. Just me. Where did I go? I went to the mall to meet a friend. Wait, it gets better. My friend had to work tonight, so I went to "hang out" with her in the candy store in the mall. Hey, I learned how to work the Icee machine! I even helped hand out pretzels and collect money! We were laughing thinking of how different our nights out, away from the children, have changed.

Tonight was good, though. We shared things that we could only share with each other. We laughed through our tears. We never pictured our lives to be like they are, but here we are....hanging out in a candy store at the mall!

Kimmie isn't just a friend, though; she's family. She knew me before I knew Todd, knew me when I met and married Todd, and was here with us when Todd died. In fact, she is the one who told me. She didn't have to say anything. I was in another room when she came down the hall. Our eyes met, and I knew. We've gone through so much together, laughed together, and cried together.

Tonight was good. Thank you, Kimmie, for a night out without the kids! (and for the pretzels and candy!) I love you.

On the way home I heard "Every Time I Hear Your Name" again and cried. I've learned over the years how to drive amazingly well with tear-clouded vision.

Finally got over that song of ours; stopped chasin' little red sports cars,
To check the license plates and I quit drivin' by your place.
Back makin' the rounds at our old haunts: Honky Tonks, restaurants.
And seein' some of our old friends: it feels good to dance again.
And I can finally smell your perfume and not look around the room for you.
And I can walk right by your picture in a frame and not feel a thing.

But when I hear your name,
I feel rain fallin' right out of the blue sky.
And it's the fifth of May, and I'm right there starin' in your eyes.
And nothin's changed, and we're still same.
And I get lost in the innocence of a first kiss,
And I'm hangin' on to every word rollin' off of your lips:
And that's all it takes, and I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.

And when the conversation turns to you,
I get caught in a "you were the only one for me",
Kinda thought, and your face is all that I see.
I know I can't go back but I still go back.
And there we are, parked down by the riverside,
And I'm in your arms about to make love for the first time,
And that's all it takes, and I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.