Sara Salvador

7/23/25 started this post

I can’t explain it. I just knew it. Out of the blue, I called Sara and asked if she were pregnant. She was. Turns out we were both expecting on the same day.

Ultimately, we both had girls and they were born three days apart.

Our next pregnancies we were due one month apart. We both had girls born three weeks apart. The girls grew up calling each other birthday twins.

Sara and I met in 6th grade our friendship gets even better with time. She is easy going, generous,, and kind. Maybe that is what makes us great friends, we are easy going until we are not. Don’t mistake us for push overs, you will be sadly mistaken. We are assertive and competitive.

Of my bestest of friends, Sara is my longest friendship. We met in the 6th grade at African Road Elementary School, Vestal, NY. It was a new school for me. Sixth grade was a rough year to start a new school but Sara made the transition smooth.

We lived near each other and would walk home from school together. I don’t really remember the walk to school as much as I remember the walks home with lots of conversation followed by after school snacks at Joanne’s house.

We both played soccer together in middle and high school. By senior year, I had officially dropped soccer.

Along the way, we started playing pick-up volleyball. I think it was a spin off from gym class. Ultimately, we played volleyball together throughout high school. Volleyball was a good time!

We had a grand volleyball celebration our senior year when we won it all.

We were both born, raised, went to school in upstate NY. we were both student- athletes. She played Soccer at St John Fisher’s and I played volleyball at Colgate.

Our friendship spans time and geography. We visited each other at college. Fun fact: she was the person that was with me when I got my tattoo (that I have since removed ).

When I moved to DC. Sara visited! When she moved out to California to get her PhD in Analytical Chemistry from UC Riverside, I was all about visiting. One evening, I got us all kicked out a restaurant. ( That’s a story for a different day)

I was in her wedding to Pete back in upstate NY. Sara was in my wedding to Antonio in North Carolina.

I visited her in Boston pre and post kids. The girls and I visited them in St Louis before they moved back to Boston.

She was at Antonio’s life celebration. She had just delivered a son weeks prior.

After Antonio passed away, we were invited yearly to vacation with her extended family, the Brazills, on the Jersey Shore. It was Sara and her family of five, Sara’s parents, her sister, Molly, and her family of four.

In all, it was seven adults and seven children. Perfect (wo)man to child coverage at the beach. Her family was exceptionally gracious and kind.

We all had a great time together. The highlights included the beaches, ice cream cones, sea gulls, and lots of delicious grilling all while spending time together.

Sara and I would stay up late talking after our young kids were in bed.

This all came to an abrupt stop when COVID shut everything down.

She met me in Cali after my younger brother Jonathan passed mid pandemic.

Currently, she is a brilliant analytical chemist that lives in a suburb of Boston with her husband and three children.

We are way overdue for a visit. I haven’t seen her children in six years and in children time that is significant! When I started writing this post, the last time we spent time together is when she joined me in California after my brother Jonathan passed. I have since seen her in NY, when by brother Darrell passed.

Sara has been with me through a lot of life with me. So grateful for the Salvador Family. I look forward to reuniting our families again very soon!