Eighty years ago, five little girls started first grade at Perry Elementary School in Perry Township, Berks County. It was September of 1943, and little did we know that we would become friends for life. Laughing, crying, plotting, scheming, planning trips to the Jersey Shore, gathering in each other’s homes, again laughing until our sides hurt.
What one didn’t think of, another did. After high school graduation in 1956, Janet Klee and I entered nurses’ training at the Reading Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1959. Carol Ann, who requested that her last name not be used, attended Albright College in Reading, graduating in 1960, and worked at Reading Hospital as a medical technologist.
Barbara Herbst and Carolyn Adam married and started families. Carolyn and I were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings. Eventually we all married and had children.
Janet was the delivery room nurse when my first son was born in 1962. She handed him to me and said, “Oh Ruthie, isn’t he beautiful?” After our children were out of the nest, our relationships grew closer than ever. We had dinner and games at each other’s homes almost monthly with husbands and significant others.
The men developed a close relationship at this time. They were great contributors with jokes, puns and funny stories. I can’t emphasize enough how much we laughed.
There were the usual girls only trips to Brigantine and Atlantic City, N.J. At the Jersey Shore, we became blood sisters.
We used sterile needles to prick our fingers and created our own pow wow ceremony as we mixed our blood. We has a spitting contest one year. Carol won that, spitting the farthest.
We played cards until 2 a.m. We hated to go to bed.
Carolyn kept saying, “I’m so tired I can’t think,” then she always won the game (even though she couldn’t think!) We became Red Hats when that was the craze. I called us the Afternoon Delights. We wore our outfits when we went out for lunch.
This continued for years. Then Barbara’s husband died. Barbara became ill.
Our focus changed to providing support and love when and where it was needed. Barbara died in 2016. Now of the four remaining, two of us are living in nursing homes.
Two are living independently. My visits consist of jokes, reminiscing and, above all, laughter. We have never stopped laughing.
These are rare, loving and beautiful friendships. Ruth E. Peiffer lives in Sinking Spring, Berks County.
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