Birthday Week Celebrations

Good friends are hard to find. Once you realize this, you cherish what you have. The friend I have was heaven-sent. There was a time in my life as a young wife and mother when I felt and was incredibly lonely. I was learning who I was while trying to figure out the never-ending cycle of tasks raising little humans. I was glad my husband was there, but I needed more. 

I needed someone who really understood me (in a different way). Who understood the craziness of motherhood and the isolation that sometimes comes with this gift. Then, I was feeling empty, though my life was full! Full of responsibility and demands. But full nonetheless.

I said, "Lord, I need friends, but one good friend will do."

Well, the Lord showed up when my doorbell rang one Saturday morning. My son attended swimming lessons at the high school near my house. We dropped him off and had every intention of picking him up. However, he'd met two other boys during class, and their mom volunteered to drop him home. When the doorbell rang, it was my first time meeting her. I thought, "How nice." I said thank you but felt I should do more. So I said, "Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" She responded, "Yes, I'd love to." Sharing cups of tea was the start of a lifelong friendship.

If you saw her, I was close behind (and vice versa). People started to say, you two are always together. We were fric and frac, yin and yang, peanut butter and jelly.

She moved upstate, but we kept in touch. I visited with my family as often as I could. I remember hiking the trails with my newborn 4th child in a carrier on one of our visits. I would not be hiking with a baby carrier if it wasn't for her. This was one of our last times together as she eventually moved to Florida, and my family eventually moved to California.

Our friendship went to another level as we commiserated over how we felt about moving to brand-new places. This was a time of growth for both of us (but then again, moving will do that to you). Many life lessons were shared, and we encouraged each other to see the good in our situations. Ironically, we both started blogging and became published authors.

I'm finally back on the East Coast, and a milestone celebration for my friend is approaching. She wanted a fabulous experience with new and old friends, and that's precisely what she had - a day trip on a yacht, fancy restaurants, a stay at an Air BnB, game night, and beach time. What a joy to celebrate with her, but also to step back and see her in a new light.

I remain grateful for how God answered my simple prayer. When I'm going through tough times, this friendship reminds me that God sees, knows, and cares.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. Proverbs 27:9 (NIV)

Thank you, T, for being a friend (you know who you are).

--Nylse

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