This past week was totally different, a change from anything I could have predicted two weeks ago. It had to do with peers. And surprisingly with oldest daughters.
On Monday, my second younger sister—the third child in my family of origin—called to say she’d like to come for a visit. From the next day til the weekend. True to my recently declared intention to be open to change, I cleared my calendar.
All three of my younger sisters and I have gotten together regularly over the years; but this was to be the first time my five-years-younger-sister and I would be with just each other. As adult peers.
A treasure-trove
Over the next few days we explored family photographs, recalled meaningful events and some that weren’t so much. More than once with differing details. Mine from the memory of the oldest daughter, hers from a middle child’s. We watched favorite movies and cable tv shows, went for a hike in the foothills—and at her suggestion— ate ice cream cones. And created a treasure trove of new memories.
Then in the middle of the week, a college classmate called unexpectedly to say that another of our classmates would be coming from out of state for a visit. They hoped all of us who live in the area could get together for lunch.
The following Monday five of us gathered, mask-free, at a local restaurant. Over the next 2.5 hours friends who first knew each other as teenage freshwomen in college, now erased the intervening years as peers in the seasoned-citizen bracket.
We acknowledged life’s losses, but mostly listened and laughed at shared memories and first-time-ever-revealed stories.
One surprising fact we now know about ourselves but wouldn’t have even known to identify back in the day is that all five of us happen to be the oldest daughters in our families. Making us members of yet another peer group.
Peer Phenomenon
According to the New Oxford American Dictionary. a peer is a person of the same age, status, or ability as anther specified person.
Since last week, it seems everywhere I peer I come across a preponderance of peers–of all ages, genders, and species. Like on my daily creek-side walks. 
Gray-haired men.
Younger women.
Pre-school pals.
Everyone engrossed in conversations.
Except an uncharacteristically quiet black lab inexplicably paired with a gray poodle-terrier.
All experiencing the pleasure of peers.
