Two Kids and a Movie

I've been thinking a lot about friendship lately; about what helps people become friends and what helps people stay friends. I've realized that friendship is really an amazing thing--because there are so many variables that need to be at least somewhat in place for it to happen. Any small difference could be the tipping point towards or away from each other.

One of the factors that plays a large role in determining how a friendship will develop (at least in my world) is children. Do you have children the same ages as mine? Great--the chances that we will be friends have just doubled. Do your children drive me crazy or beat on my children? Too bad--that's probably the end of that promising friendship.

This post is a tribute to two kids and a movie.

We were friends with their parents. We had lots of fun together and loved to play games at night when our kids were asleep. But our friendship probably would have been a different experience if it weren't for these great kids and one movie.

This was back in the day before dish network and before people owned scads of movies. One of the few movies we owned was "Follow that Bird." We would put our kids in bed, get out the games, and put in "Follow that Bird," first for Abigail, and later for Abigail and Benjamin. Every game and conversation played out against the background story of Big Bird being separated from his Sesame Street family and trying to find his way back home.

I am sure that there are many children who would not have been that cooperative; who would not have watched the same movie over and over again. Thankfully, Abigail and Benjamin did.

How many times did they watch the movie? I couldn't begin to guess. What I can do is tell you that at one point we were playing a game and we realized that every one of us was singing along with the movie,

Easy going, laugh our cares away

On this easy going,easy going day.

.

As I remember, when we realized what we were doing we all laughed and kept singing. And kept playing. While the kids kept watching.

That is one of the many reasons that Abigail and Benjamin are two of my favorite people in the world. They made it possible for our friendship with their parents to continue to develop--which, many years and many beach vacations later, I'm very grateful for.

And that is also why, when we were cleaning out old movies the other day, I couldn't just toss "Follow That Bird" in the trash without a little nostalgia first. Maybe I need to put it in the VCR while I'm cleaning today so that I can sing along one more time.

Anyone up for a game night??

(lyrics corrected by Cindy Lynn, who watched the movie more than I did.)