When Eric and I went away to Maryland for our anniversary getaway in October, we met a delightful couple also staying at the same B & B who were from the same area in South Jersey.  Susan, in fact, lives down the street from my sister (the house that I grew up in).  We exchanged information, and have had a few chances to visit since then.  We took our kids trick-or-treating to her home, and then she came to our ladies’ Christmas tea where I was speaking.

One of the interesting small-world tidbits that we discovered was that her best friend since childhood, Caroline, is the mom who hired me as her mother’s helper for their 3 boys all through my high school days.  She was married to a Japanese-American, and I can remember being shocked — nearly repulsed — when she would cut up big slabs of raw tuna and the boys would swarm around like bees to honey.

Oh- what goes around comes around.  Now I’m the one married to a Japanese- American, and our children’s favorite treat is — raw fish!  Who knew?  I really can see how God used this high school experience in a part of the world where I know NO other Japanese — to prepare me for what He knew was to come.  Truly, from our South Jersey of Moorestown, I can fairly well bet that there are no other caucasian women married to Japanese- Americans…

It was great fun last Sunday night to go out with Susan and Don,  Caroline and Fred, and Allison and Anthony (my sister and brother-in-law who live down the street from these other 2 couples).  Fred took us to the most authentic Japanese restaurant around and had a good time ordering for all of us.  We loved the food, conversation, and getting to know (re-getting to know) these new and old friends. We really have missed good Japanese food (2 more weeks!)… and our kids — like bees to the honey — ate up the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. (Photo below:  from left clockwise:  Don, Susan, Fred, Caroline, Eric, me, Allison, Anthony).

It was a great surprise this afternoon to run into Fred and Caroline again at an Italian restaurant where we were eating after church today.  They had their oldest son Takashi, and his two children.  Takashi has grown up since the days when I was his sitter– I loved this further connection with my past just as we are preparing to depart.