The Hydra

When we were in college, there were six of us girls who were pretty much inseparable. The guys that we were friends with began referring to us as "the hydra." In mythology, the hydra was a creature with one body but multiple heads. The guys thought that this was a fitting name for us, and we didn't mind that it was actually a reference to a monster. :)

Over the years, most of the Hydra has remained friends. One of the girls seems to have dropped off the face of the earth (which is unfortunate, since I always loved hanging out with her), but the other five of us still talk and see each other on occasion (even though we're spread out all over the country now). My friend Jane (who I mentioned in a post last week) is one of the Hydra. This is our friend Shannon, another member of the Hydra. The baby in the picture is Theresa, Jane's daughter (and Shannon's niece...I failed to mention that there have been a number of Hydra-related marriages since college).


On Thursday of this week, the other 3 members of the Hydra got together for lunch in Ohio. Rachel brought two of her three kids with her, so after lunch we went to the school where my mom used to teach so that her kids could play on the playground. This is Rachel (not taken that day) and her son, Max.


And this is Katie, with Rachel's daughter, Lucy.


What I love about the Hydra is that it doesn't seem to matter how many months or even years pass between visits, it always feels comfortable getting back together, and we fall right back into our old friendships. I love my girls!