I walked through my old neighborhood today.
I happened to be in the Davis/Porter Square neighborhood for lunch today with my friend, the most amazing and awesome Paige.
Anyhooo…
On a whim I decided to find my old house. The first house I moved to in Boston. Back in the day. In my twenties. With my college friends, Laura and Lisa.
I found the house at 31 St. James.
But it wasn’t what I was looking for.
I thought I would find my old, yellow house.
Turns out 31 St. James is now blue.

Like, electric BLUE.
I stood in the street for a few moments squinting, trying to remember what the house looked like when I lived there. When it was YELLOW. When it was my home.
After snapping a few photos I walked down the street to find our old friend WINSTON.
Winston was the best neighbor, friend, and confidant.
Winston was always there for us.
Winston never let us down.
Because Winston was a tree.
Still is.

Every time we passed Winston, the three of us would call out his name in unison.
“Hellooooooo Winston!
Mr. Winston is still there, looking as strong as ever.
And that reminded me of me of Laura and Lisa. They have always been here for me, through thick and thin.
When 31 St. James was a house of yellow, we three girls had each other.
At 31 St. James, we helped each other through the death and divorce of parents. We got engaged, started jobs and shut down internet companies. We cried our eyes out. We laughed over stupid movies. We gasped in disbelief after going to bed one night and waking up in the morning shocked to hear that George Bush was elected president.
And then we ate frozen chocolate chip cookie dough — right out of the container. We threw parties (and we threw up a few times too!).
Always TOGETHER.
We were the crew of 31 St. James.

So today, my gift of the day was to my girls. Just a simple photo of a house that was once yellow but is now BLUE. Electric blue.
Kind of fitting too.
Because our friendship has only become more electric as time has passed.
We may live in three different parts of the country, in three different colored houses, but in our hearts we will always have 31 St. James — no matter what color they paint it.
Because just like Mr. Winston, our friendship is still there, looking as strong as ever.
And that’s the gift of a lifetime.
More tomorrow.
Lovemore,
Jamie
{Have some life-long, rock-on friends? Feel free to share on the blog.}
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Tags: blue house, Boston, friendship, Laura, lifelong friends, Lisa, tree, winston, yellow house