Dancing in the Rain: "A Decade of Friendship"

As I sit here in my living room, stretched out on the couch typing away, I can't help but smile. A purple "Rosie" the train is snuggled between two cushions next to me and "Mater" the tow truck is chillin' next to a baby seat on the floor. An extra chair is pushed up to the kitchen table and crumbs from little people (and big people) are scattered underneath. Although it may sound crazy, as I am relaxed in this moment, I can even smell the faint aroma of four different homes still lingering together in the air around me. Beautiful.

This morning was bittersweet as I watched three of my closest college girlfriends drive out of my driveway. Bitter because they were leaving Titus and I, and sweet because they were heading back to their homes. Their families. Their husbands. Their lives. The lives we prayed for. The lives we dreamed about. Ten years ago, when we first met...

Amber. As weird as it sounds, her and I met in a bathroom our freshman year at SFA. We were both hiding out...escaping a big crowd of well intentioned upper classmen. (That "get to know you" small talk had us both unnerved!!) Since we were the only two chickadees hiding out, we did what any two 18 years old girls would do...we smiled and said Hi and then we silently summed each other up!...and in doing so, we discovered that we were both wearing "Bubble Gum" jeans! We started laughing and hit it off fast!

Mary. When you are a freshman in college, and you're at welcome week at the BSM, everyone wants to get to know you, and when I was unable to sneak into the bathroom for an escape, I ended up having some pretty cool conversations! One of those great convos was with a sweet girl named Mary. As we talked we came to realize that we had so much in common! We hit it off instantly and have been friends ever since!

April. After I had changed my major from Elementary Education to Deaf Education I went to watch an intramural volleyball game with a couple of friends, including Amber. After sharing with Amber all about what I had just done, she pointed out a girl from her dorm named April on the court who had told her just recently about doing the very same thing! I couldn't believe it! After the game, I went over to meet her and we clicked immediately! We ended up enrolling for a few of the same classes that next semester...and the rest is history!

Amber, Mary, and April. Three of the most precious women you will ever know or ever have the privilege of meeting.

I can't believe it has already been ten years since we first met!

I love these girls more than I can even express. Their sweet faces grace some of the most exciting and crazy memories that I have from college and their presence and prayers have lifted my spirit more times than I can even count these six years since.

C.S Lewis once said, "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."

Surviving this life is one thing. Surviving with friends is quite another.

I am so thankful to have these girls in my life! Even when I had nothing else to give, they continued to make sacrifices and and were there for me. They have taught me so much about being a true friend. In the ups and the downs. In the good times and the bad.

I love that we are still close after all these years, even though we live so far from each other. And I love that our children will grow up knowing one another as well.

What a time we had all together these last few days!