Friends

Okay...can I just say that I have the BEST friends a girl could ever ask for?!?! I just got back from a MUCH NEEDED Girl's Night Out with my sweet friend Melissa, because my sweet friend Marian selflessly volunteered to come over and watch my babies tonight. I got to go eat at Newk's and Sweet CeCe's, and then Melissa and I went to pick out books for our babies for our annual Christmas in July. Since it seems that our phone conversations that once lasted for hours have now shrunk to mere minutes, because of babies and husbands being out of town and the like, it was so great to catch up! There were even stories that I thought I had already shared with her that I didn't realize she didn't know the details about. It really had been too long since we had gotten to go out for coffee!

Melissa...I remember the first time we ever met. It was the summer of 1998, and I had just been hired at Stewartsboro Elementary to teach first grade and be the new cheerleading sponsor. It was my first year as a "real" classroom teacher, and I had been hired to teach first grade! My certification was only for first through eighth grade, but my emphasis was on grades six through eight. What in the world was I going to do with all these baby first graders?! I'll never forget going to the school to get my classroom key and Mrs. Belcher, the assistant principal, taking me to see my classroom and then on a tour of the rest of the school. As we were approaching the end of the first grade hall and clearly on the way back to the office, we heard some "child like" noises coming from one of the classrooms. Mrs. Belcher stopped and said, "Oh, one of the first grade teachers is here teaching summer school. Come here and I'll introduce you!" We walked into the classroom, and Melissa quickly stood up and came over to say hello. She was immediately warm and welcoming, and I knew instantly that we would be friends. Before I walked out the door, she had given me her name and number and had told me that if I needed ANYTHING to give her a call. It wasn't until later that I found out that she also had decided to be a co-sponsor for cheerleading. God truly does work in miraculous ways, because I had no idea what I was getting into and how much I needed Melissa in my life...and not just for that one year. Since then, she has been my confidant, my cheerleader, my prayer partner, my problem solver, my babysitter, my shoulder to cry on, my partner in crime and countless other titles. I can't imagine how I'm going to function on the other side of the world without her being ten minutes away. :-(

Marian...our babies (Alex and Ashlynn) were in the same dance class at Dance With Stacey in Smyrna. They were four years old at the time, and I had Aaron who was three years old and into everything, Avery who was a baby, we listed and sold our house because we were building another one, and we were living in an apartment at the time. My life was crazy then, and I didn't socialize much in that class. Then, the following fall, Ashlynn's kindergarten open house was scheduled for one evening in August. I remember walking in and scanning the room filled with several people I already knew. I remember seeing Marian sitting at the table with her husband, and I remember recalling that our kids had been in the same class the previous year. I also remember feeling badly that I had not made an attempt to talk to her at all during the dance year. Right off the bat, Marian and I immediately began to volunteer for Ms. Cockrell, so we began to be around each other quite a bit. It certainly didn't take long for me to see how caring, hard-working, selfless, creative, dependable and all kinds of other labels she was. Everyone needs a friend like Marian. She is that friend that you know you could call at 2:00 in the morning in an emergency, and she would do whatever it took to help you out, and she would not think twice about it! I tell everyone that she would give you the shirt off of her back if you really needed it. Again, what am I going to do without her? :-(

These two precious friends (along with some other friends of mine that I have similar stories about!) are also in the progress of planning a going away party for me. I can't even tell you how incredibly blessed I am to know them and to be able to call them my friends. I know that everyone comes into your life for a reason...some for a short time and some for a lifetime. I know these girls are in it for the long haul! I love you, girls!

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13