#5dubsaday 17/31

I've noticed a hashtag on social media lately that intrigued me:  #5dubsaday. Monte Syrie was posting with it. Because I am usually oblivious to trends, I was in the dark. Upon further investigation, I found that he was posting questions using the five Ws:  who, what, where, when, and why. He stated that the questions "lead to reflection and connection."

I thought, "What a great idea for a slice!"

I made a list of his questions in my notebook and used five (of my new 35 but don't tell my husband!) colored highlighters for each question stem. 

Deciding on which five to write about was the most difficult part. Most people know that I teach, I write, and I read books, so I decided to use questions about my friends.

So here they are:

Who in your circle deserves a shoutout? I am blessed with a circle of friends for over 50 years. We've been through a lot this past year, but one friend unexpectedly lost her husband last fall. She is strong and loving and kind and continues to give from her heart even when hers is broken.

What was your clique in high school? We were and ARE the EJDs, also known as the Eight Jelly Donuts. In high school, we pulled pranks with jelly donuts. We still get together today, and jelly donuts always have a place at the table.

When was the last time you had a really good laugh? Last fall, after our friend lost her husband, we had an EJD weekend. We wanted to support her and help her get through this current life moment. One of those nights, someone (former cheerleader!) wondered if they could still do handstands. After several tries and some serious spotting, they did it! And then out came the hula hoop. Oh my, we laughed and laughed until we cried.

Where did you hangout as a teenager? Cruising was the main form of our entertainment. We would all hop in someone's car and drive through town on the cruising streets with windows down and our Farah Fawcett wings flying in our faces. We would cruise through the McDonald's parking lot and around a drive-up root beer stand, blaring Journey, The Cars, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson. At the end of the night, we would all give the driver a few dollars for gas, go home, and do it all over again the next weekend.

Why do childhood friendships matter? Going through life with a partner is something special. But going through life with a friend, or in my case seven of them, is something to be cherished. We've gone through marriage and divorce, births and infertility, cancer scares and death of loved ones, happiness and deep sorrow, but through it all, we have remained friends. And that is a cherished gift.

If you are looking for a slice this month, think about #5dubsaday!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.