Lunch Bunch

Once a month or so,  I eat with the "lunch brunch", a motley crew of assorted clergy women friends, half of whom are retired, and half of whom are not.  You couldn't find six more different people anywhere!

We talk about "newsy" items we may have heard, relative to anyone we know in common--like who is in a new relationship,  who has passed away,  who is leaving their job,  who is expecting an appointment to a church, etc.   We also ask about what is going on in our individual or family lives that might be of interest, any weddings, or issues, or divorces, etc.   We are all in our mid sixties, except  Nat who is not yet 60.  She is currently on a leave of absence, trying to discern her future---going back to serve a church, or bringing to fruition her real passion,  a teaching/consulting option?  Time will tell.   She's too young to retire.

At the moment, I am reading a novel about six women who gather on Friday nights. They range in age from their twenties to retired.  A couple of them are married, a couple have never been married, several are mothers, and so on.  Although there are many differences,  my lunch bunch group reminds me a little bit of those women.  Some are married, single, divorced, grandparents, not grandparents.   Not the same ones come each time we gather.  Just like in my novel,  how the gathering goes depends on who is present and who is not.  The dynamic changes with the attendees.   Not all the members of the group are close.  I'm not sure any of us could identify exactly how this particular group got convened.

Since retiring, for me, it has been an excuse to "go to the city", where I can do a bit of window shopping and see things (or buy things) I cannot usually find in the town in which I live.  At least 4 or 5 out of the group actually live in that city.  For me it is an hour's drive.

Most of my social engagements and lunches tend to be one on one,  one friend at a time, or one daughter at a time.  A group gathering is quite different.  I can participate to whatever degree I wish,  or simply observe.  I suppose the truth is,  I've gotten to where I actually look forward to these lunches,  which are often quite lively and filled with laughter.   Laughter any time any where is worth the trip!   And not to be missed.