My Friends In Northbridge.

Today's Marketing Cookie is for my old friends from Northbridge.

I grew up in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, a quiet village originally settled by the Whitin family along the banks of the Blackstone River. I attended Plumber's School for first grade, Cross Street School for second grade, and then moved on to the "big leagues" at the W. Edward Balmer School for third through sixth grades. My classmates were like an extended family. We might see each other at Philips Market, roller skating or swimming at the Whitin Community Center, going on carnival rides at the VFW in Rockdale, shopping at the Fair, having ice cream at the Big Bite in Linwood, or maybe candlepin bowling with family on Main Street.

Unfortunately, I became ill with pneumonia and missed most of the sixth grade. After a year of homeschooling and recuperating, I enrolled in a private school and wouldn't join my friends at Northbridge High School, nor sit in the bleachers cheering for the Rams. While I only attended elementary school with the kids from Northbridge, something miraculous happened to me on Facebook.

I started receiving friend requests from kids I hadn't seen in more than twenty-six years, and I still remembered them. I didn’t have to pause and wonder who they were, and it amazed me how much of an impact your classmates can make on your life. I was later invited to their 20th high school reunion—a high school I had never attended. Being at the reunion was an amazing experience because I still remembered everyone, and they somehow still recognized me, which is bewildering because I wasn’t this bald in elementary school.

On the long drive home from the reunion, I remember telling my wife how grateful I was to have grown up with such terrific people and how touched I was to be included in their memory. As we continue to stay in touch periodically through Facebook, I'm thrilled to "like" their happy moments and touched to have them sharing in mine. Whether one of our own is being recognized as "Massachusetts Teacher of the Year" or another is simply sharing a crayon picture by their kid saying, "I Love My Mommy," I am grateful for the impact you’ve made on my life. As today's fortune says, "You are admired for your accomplishments," and even more so, you’re admired for your willingness to share them with an old friend.

Thank you for who you are, and for what you do!