How Sweet are Friends?

Today one of my best friends came up with her children to stay the weekend. I am so delighted. I wondered, after 4 years, would we still be the same, friend-wise. That was very easily assured early on in the eve.

Our two oldest (both girls) are only a year apart and our two youngest (both boys) are merely 5 months apart. It was amuzing and entertaining to watch the boys play together. Her boy has long dark hair, is slightly chubby, and about an inch shorter than Bun. So here's my boy sitting on his back trying to get a horse-back ride, bringing his favorite toys to him and putting them in his hands, showing him around, sharing his favorite crackers and drinks with him, having an all around good time.

The difference between my friend and I are many. She lives in Louisville, I live in the country. The boondocks. It was funny, she thought there was something wrong with her phone because she couldn't get a signal. (hahaha, that's just plain normal around here!) So when Bubs is bubs and stands on the table, she gets anxious. I instruct him firmly to get down. It took her a while to walk out of the room and rest that her boy would come to no harm, my older girls where watching him. It was good for her to relax a bit, she's pg again. (theres a story for another day!)

This gal has done so much for me. She is directly responsible for my current existence. Jenn and I met in college. We were instantly arch enemies. The next year we were housed right across the hallway from each other, at the end of the hall where there is no door out. We had to go the full length of the dorm to the stairwell out. NOT GOOD! So, we made friends. And after getting to know each other, we made best friends. You didn't see one without the other.

Many times in college I was depressed and heading to the car to drive it off into Persy Priest Lake. How it is that she always "popped up" before I got to the car had to be God and God alone. It got to where I planned it when she should be at work, class, on a date. Always she "popped up".

And the "popping up" was the least of it. She would lock her arm through mine and ask me where we were going. Truth be known, true suicides don't want an audience and don't tell. If someone is threatening, they are asking for help, not necessarily just attention. My answer would be 'for a drive.' Then it got to be, "I'm going for a drive, you are going.........(to work, to class, with so-in-so)" Nope, she would climb in, click her seatbelt and not leave.

Well now, I couldn't very well drown her with me. I mean, com'mon, that would be murder. And she was just too kind of a person. The world needed her a bit longer. (yes, realize that there is no sense in murder/suicide. All will send you to hell.)

Sooooo........we would drive around. She would chatter away. Make me laugh. We would stop somewhere to eat, I would play the deaf person and do sign language during the whole meal to mess with the servers, and we would laugh amongst ourselves about it later. (because of her, there was a 'later')

As stressful, aggravating, annoying, painful, disstressing, rotten and horrid as times in life can be, I would never have known what it was like to fall in love, to give birth, to mend a relationship with my mother, to see the parts of America I have experienced (NYC being my favorite at the time), get my degree, make more friends and enjoy all the blessings God has graciously advanced my way if it weren't for my friend. She would argue with me, but I owe her so much, and truthfully, she deserves it.

Aside from the noble acts she unknowingly did at the time, she is also very much like me in person. We are clutzy, stubborn, strong-willed, goof balls that bawl our heads off at chick flicks like 50 First Dates. We enjoy virtually all sweets. Worry about how well we raise our children. Are concerned about what kind of wives we are to our husbands. Can sit and talk for hours, lose track of time and spastically get off the phone leaving the other person cracking up on the other end.

There has never been a time in our friendship that I have regretted knowing Jenn. She is honest to me, even when it's not what I want to hear. (I have a few other golden friends like that, I am blessed) She has always concerned herself with me instead of herself. And the best part of all is that I'm not the only person she is like that with. That's just Jenn.

And as worried as she is about the baby she is carrying, I know that God is not merely going to take care of her, He's going to repay her for all the kind-hearted, loving things she does for people. She deserves what she wants in life and I wish her well.