By Nici Holt Cline
My husband’s group of childhood friends remain his best friends today. It’s remarkable. They call themselves the NASA Posse and the origin and evolution of that name is a whole essay unto itself. There are 12 of them and they met in grade school, bonded solid and true by skiing in south central Montana. Now they have careers, wives and receding hairlines. Although at times I have been frustrated at their collective adolescent state when they gather (think bottle rocket ammunition on the river more dick jokes than one ever cares to hear), I have always loved that my husband has the NASA Posse in his life. And now witnessing this athletic, tough, handsome and raucous group of men get to know my daughters, I know that the Posse holds a new importance in our lives. They are the men who shape my daughters’ perspective of men.
Ten of the 12 NASA Posse members (and 13 year-old Alex and my little Margot)
Now scattered across Montana, Utah and Oregon, the group convenes several times per year, always once for the Annual NASA Ski Holiday (they like to name things) and irregularly for other events like this last weekend, when we collected in the green perfection of Paradise Valley for Ryan and Kristen’s wedding. Joey officiated and the rest of the group stood in the crowd, smiling and celebrating another childhood friend and his love.
We weren’t the first of the Posse to have kids but because the first was 13 years ago, we were the first of the rest. It can be hard to be the only couple with babies in a group but it just isn’t with this group. I think it’s a little bit because these men have a striking ability to channel their childhood and it’s a little bit because their friendship is family. Either way, it is something to watch these men–who stick 40-foot drops on skis, whose heartbeats keep rhythm to the bends and depths of our rivers, who are most comfortable pushing their everything in the Montana mountains–soften and coo at Ruby and teach Margot how to do somersaults.
As we drove west, Paradise in the rearview mirror, I felt gratitude and appreciation for the Posse and their families. Now in our thirties, our tribes have become more defined, more concentrated, more important. Time gets tighter and how and who we share our time with becomes more strategic. When making plans we consider how our children will fit in. I know the NASA Posse is in our life for the long haul and I know that there isn’t a better model of guts, dedication and fun for my daughters to witness and grow with. As long as bottle rockets and dick jokes happen some time after bedtime.
A fourth generation Montanan raising a fifth, Nici Holt Cline is a mama to Margot and Ruby, wife, gardener, crafter and runner who loves to write and take photos. She writes regularly on her popular blog dig this chick. You can read “Mama Digs” every Monday exclusively at www.mamalode.com. Read more of Nici’s mamalode articles here.
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They are a great goup! I love how they \love “our” girls!
Nice, Nici. Love the group photo.
It is really nice to see that there are 12 persons who were friends in their schools and still they are together. In these days busy lives it is not very often that you are even in touch with your school fellows but here are these people not only they are still in touch but they still have time to spend with each other on regular bases. I would also love to be a part of such a group
You have got to love em! Great blogs, I am in love with it.