I think it was over cookies . . .

It was April 1996.

I was working as a legal secretary in a law office which consisted of two male attorneys. We'll call them "Tom" and "Dan".

Tom was a by the book, middle-aged, Catholic man who was kind and fatherly and smart. He had two striking boys still in elementary school. Tom would drive me home after work when it would get dark early so that I didn't have to walk through my dicey neighborhood alone.

Dan was an eccentric, old-line, Philadelphia Quaker who left the office everday at 2:30 so he could pick his three daughters up from elementary school. He was intelligent, quirky and fun.

All five kids attended the same Quaker school in Philadelphia.

These two men treated me a little as friend and a little as family for the four years I was in their employ. I grew quite fond of them and of their families, especially their kids.

Dan's three daughters would come into the office when they had a day off and clean. They would clean the office from top to bottom, entertaining me for the day. These girls were striking in their beauty. The oldest and youngest had soft features and dark hair and freckles. The middle child - the wild child, had wispy blonde hair. All three were fond of my chocolate chip cookies.

It was over a batch of chocolate chip cookies that we bonded. One sunny afternoon, the girls were in to clean. I knew they were coming and so I baked a batch of my chewy-gooey chocolate chip cookies. The girls entertained me and ate cookies and very little cleaning got done that day. When it was time to leave I received sweet thanks and three very heartfelt hugs. We quickly became buddies.

Over the last 10 years, I have had the pleasure of watching these three grow. I got to read letters from camp, attend plays, parties, and family cookouts. I got to sit in their kitchen and share lemon and sugar crepes or make sushi. I learned the proper way of diving off their diving board and where the best bread shop was in Chestnut Hill. I watched Some Like It Hot in their living room on an old film reel and projector. I saw Gladiator in the theatre with the oldest and we both jumped out of our seats when the tigers came after Russell Crowe. I learned how to harvest honey, watched as a wooden canoe was built from start to finish and was the recipient of candles and dough-people for every holiday.

I was witness to the prank started by their dad one day that grew into a way of life. Dan decided he would annoy his children by becoming a vegetarian. It did annoy the girls - at first. Then, one by one, each kid became a veggie - unless they caught and killed it themselves, a story for another day.

Oh and the driving lessons!

Now, while I have moved far away and two of them are attending college and making memories, I get to connect with them again. I mentioned the other day that the oldest of the three girls is on an Antarctic expedition. And now she's dodging seals and drilling cores! My how they grow!

If you haven't already, take a peak at what this remarkable young lady is up to these days! Pardon me while I go read up on icebergs!