JuJu and Joanna...The Seniors' Journey

Years before JuJu and Joanna met, JuJu experienced some significant health issues.  It took many months to even feel human.  JuJu had to be out of work for 3 months trying to recover.  Little did she know, this would be a challenging journey in itself.  The sickness left her with a number of illnesses and a disease that would plague her later.  The Graves Disease alone took over 10 years to regulate.

Joanna had been trying to continue to work while she was in her forties and fifties, all the while dealing with extreme back pain.  Like JuJu, you do what you have to do to survive and make a living.  The pain Joanna suffered would eventually catch up with her, as well.

JuJu and Joanna separated from their husbands around the same time.  They both struggled with the overwhelming emotions that go along with separation and divorce.  Neither of them expected to be separated, but circumstances come into our lives and we just have to deal with them.  Easy or not.  It wasn't just the emotional anxiety that had attacked them both, but the stress of separation and divorce sometimes has a way of causing illnesses to peak its head back up.

I am not sure who called the other first, but eventually phone communication started between the two new friends and they began to slowly share some of their life events with each other.  Friendship had to grow as both of them had a shield up.  JuJu and Joanna joined Tam several more times for a few outings, only to acknowledge they both no longer needed or wanted to be in the bar scene.  It surely was not as much fun as it had been in their much younger years.  With that determined, JuJu and Joanna would sometimes meet for supper at nearby restaurants and continue their conversations and growing friendship.

JuJu and Joanna...The Seniors' Journey

Being 65 and 66 and also being friends for over 15 years, JuJu and Joanna had shared the "beginnings" of senior life when they first met.  Of course, when they first met, even then in their fifties, thinking "senior" had not entered their minds.

Joanna was introduced to JuJu as a friend of Tam's.  The three of them were out for the night!  Yay!  Going out for a drink at a restaurant.  But, these three were going directly to the bar.  They all had a seat and ordered a drink and the evening began.  Joanna and JuJu were sitting beside each other and Tam was across from them.  Tam was younger and she never let them forget it too.  Tam always attracting the men...all men, all ages...Tam was funny, had a great smile and of course, was 13 years younger.

The evening ended somewhat early with JuJu and Joanna getting more acquainted and Tam wanting more fun.  Never knew what 13 years difference in age could do.  JuJu and Joanna were content to call it an evening and they did.  As I can remember, they exchanged phone numbers, not knowing if one would call the other.  But something sparked between the two ladies.  Kinda like a friendship in the making.

JuJu and Joanna were still working at this stage in their life.  Both of them were recently separated and each of them had adult children.  In the case of JuJu, she had only the one child, a son.  Joanna had three children, two boys and a girl.  With much in common, the beginnings of this friendship was going to be good.  Just a good feeling about it.