It’s an unfortunate reality that friendships often fade with the passage of time. As we move from one significant phase of life to the next, obligations and commitments change, peer groups evolve, physical distance intervenes, and once-inseparable people tend to find themselves drifting apart. However, some friends form such a powerful bond that they manage to stay connected—or at least reconnect time and time again—throughout their lives.
Such is the case for lifelong friends Rita Beckman and Maddy Mitchell.
Rita and Maddy are both currently residing in assisted living at The Gardens of St. Francis, and the unique story of their intertwining paths is a true source of inspiration.
The two friends first met in the fourth grade when Maddy changed schools from Good Shepherd to Sacred Heart. “We knew of each other and I had met Maddy’s parents before because their home was located close to mine,” Rita recollects, “so it was only natural that we became acquaintances at school.”
Eventually, Maddy moved again and left Sacred Heart, but the two weren’t separated for long. They reconnected at Central Catholic High School, though Maddy ultimately graduated from Clay High School. After graduating, both got married and they lost track of one another for a time.
In the following years, the two friends may have been leading separate lives, but in one particular period at least, they were much closer to one another than either of them realized. Maddy recalls, “I started coaching CYO basketball and softball while Rita’s husband was heading up the whole CYO program—but I never connected him with Rita because I only knew her by her maidan name. I really enjoyed giving her husband a rough time as much as I could, and he would go home and talk about the things I’d said and done, but Rita didn’t know I was that Maddy because she didn’t know my married name.” Maddy eventually backed off coaching and several years passed with her and Rita again leading separate lives.
They connected again when, coincidentally, both were working at St. Charles Hospital. “During that period, we spent a lot of time together, had a lot of conversations, and really enjoyed each other’s company,” Rita says. One day while the two were on the job at St. Charles, Rita’s daughter stopped by for a visit with her new baby, and much to Maddy’s surprise, it turned out that the child was named Madeline. Then, once again, life changed, time intervened, and Rita and Maddy lost track of each other.
But as fate would have it, their friendship was rekindled recently when both of them chose to take advantage of the assisted living program at The Gardens of St. Francis. Maddy joined the community first after experiencing some deterioration in her health status. Rita arrived soon thereafter with health concerns of her own.
After moving in, Rita was introduced as a new resident at breakfast, and her name caught Maddy’s attention. Realizing that they were together again at the same facility, both were so excited that they practically jumped across the table to embrace each other. Now, the two friends live in close apartments in the same hall, so they have frequent opportunities to spend time together, chat, and reminisce.
“We talk about how many years have passed and all that we’ve been through. Here we are years later—with whiter hair—sharing our lives again. I’m so grateful for the times we’ve had together and for all the times we’ll have in the future,” says Rita.
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