My Camelot

Brian and I married young and started having kids young. While we were still in college, in fact. This puts one in a strange place. You don't really fit in with your college friends anymore, but you really aren't old enough for real "grown up" friends.

Since I was a grade ahead (read: older than) my husband in college, circumstances placed us living in affordable housing in a nearby town. Some friends of ours who lived in this community (old enough to be our parents, actually) invited us to attend their church and did one of the wisest things that anyone has ever done for us as a couple. They led us to the door of the "young married" Sunday School class and said, "See ya later!" Now Brian and I are introverts. To say we were not thrilled would be an understatement. But people were nice, so we kept coming back. It was in this Sunday School class that I started to meet and make "grown up" friends. And when the church started a small group ministry later that year, 5 couples joined together to make a "young married" small group--criteria: been married 5 years or less.
At the point that we started, three of the five couples had one child each with one on the way. One couple was engaged to be married.

This group combined to be one of the most delicious cocktails of people that I have ever been privileged to be a part of. We got together once a week on Tuesday nights for several years. Our kids played together, we laughed together, prayed for each other, and spent time with each other even outside of small group. It was the first time in my life that I truly felt "grown up" and that I "fit in" somewhere. My friend still refers to this group as her "barn friends"--you know--if your barn burned down, they would come and help you rebuild it the next day--no questions asked.

Well, what probably happens to most young married couples happened to us as well. God started calling our families in different directions and our small group ceased to exist formally.

Now some of us are scattered about the country. It is rare the occasion that we are all together.

As fate would have it, we were all here for a long weekend a few weeks ago. We have close to tripled the number of children since we "ended" in 2000, and we are older--but the magic was very much the same.

Don't let it be forgot...that once there was a spot...

For one brief shining moment...that was known as Camelot.

Thanks, guys, for being my Camelot!