Celebrating a Friend's Double Nickel Birthday!

Treasures were found when I rummaged through an old white, yellowing envelope of photographs in my storage unit. Cathy Walker has been a friend of mine since Miss Hammer’s 3^rd Grade Class at Washington Center Elementary School in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The below  photograph was taken in her Mom, Helen and Dad, Mr. Walker Tom Sir’s living room in their long-time home on Aragon Drive in Edgewood Park as we signed “I love you!” to the camera.

Growing up with good folks like Cathy and the Edgewood Park neighborhood gang makes me cry, smile and laugh simultaneously as I remember how we bonded together and took care of each other no matter the situation. Our antics make me laugh out loud. Cathy and other childhood friends have remained throughout the years.

Playing games with Cathy, her younger sister, Joy; and our friend, Kathy Minnich were good times in the Walker's living room..

Cathy’s double-nickel birthday is on July 27^th, and I probably will not be available to give her a phone shout out on that day. So this early posting is your call. “Celebrate and sending you the love!”

Surprising Cathy with a birthday celebration in the kitchen of my first apartment, located on Rivermet Avenue in the Lakeside neighborhood, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Cathy's niece, Reannon. Not pictured: Sandy Walker (sister) and Helen (mother).

Cathy's parents were a gift to those who spent time with them due to their faith and love. The following are the words about Helen and Mr. Walker Tom Sir as Cathy's birthday is celebrated this month.

I believe that each person has a gift to share Helen and Tom Walker. A few of their gifts were calmness, humor and love, and Cathy can hold those gifts on her birthday and always.

With six children of their own, Helen and Mr. Walker Tom Sir never hesitated to include me on family trips. Helen said that her children could invite a friend to go on their family trip to Maranatha.  Cathy asked me.

Thom Dale, their son, thought of a game that we could play that involved Cathy, Joy, Kathy Minnich, and me.  Thom Dale would pitch a ball up to us as we stood on the porch roof and hit it with a large stick. The runner would enter through the window, run down the stairs, exit out of the front door and circle the bases without Thom Dale tagging the individual out.

Joy was on the porch roof, waiting for her pitch. Thom Dale looked down the dirt pathway. He then yelled Mom and Dad are coming.  Joy tried to enter through the open window. Her belt was stuck on the windowpane. Thom Dale was yelling for me to pull Joy in. I could not pull Joy in.

Helen and Tom walked by the house as I am trying to pull her youngest in the window. Helen looked at the situation with Joy’s legs dangling from the window. Helen and Mr. Walker Tom Sir calmly walked on by. They never said a word about it to us kids.

Helen  and Mr. Walker Tom Sir realized that we were good kids so why not be calm and have a sense of humor.  And it was a good ting that Cathy's parents had the above-mentioned gifts because we were always into or doing something as kids.

I sat down with Helen and Mr. Walker Tom Sir as an adult and shared a number of these stories and antics with them. They laughed so hard.