“What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Herein lies the key to your earthly pursuits.” ~ Carl Jung
Our neighbor, Pearl Darlin, celebrated her 85th birthday today. Her family – legion like The Terrys – brought food and sweets and invited us over to help celebrate the milestone. Pearl and Mom became good friends many years ago when I first moved to the neighborhood, and that was 12 years before Mom and Dad moved down. Pearl is from Campton (Wolfe County), our neighbor in eastern Kentucky, so it was only natural they should bond out of the mountains.
Pearl is the street’s original Gladys Kravitz. She knows everyone and their friends and she knows when anything is out of place. She is the neighbor every neighborhood wishes they had. She is also the last remaining original homeowner on Springridge Drive. When I moved in 17 years ago, there were five, all widows, giving rise to the nickname Widow’s Row, as Springridge was known for a time. It has been sad to see them check out one at a time, but it has made Pearl all the more endearing. She is an Energizer Bunny, though she is still not the oldest of the widows. She has another ten years to reach that prize.
Last year, Mom bought her and Pearl matching moo moos. When Pearl invited Mom to the birthday party, she asked Mom to please wear her moo moo. I think Pearl’s family wasn’t quite ready for the twin fashion statement based on the deer-in-the-headlight stares, but Mom, Pearl, and I thought it was one of the funniest things ever. I hope I have their spunk and sense of humor at that age. Happy Birthday, Pearl. Thank you for being a friend.
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