Friends

I am so thankful for my friends. It seems that there are a myriad of you and I am awed and humbled by your care, concern and nurture of me. Truly. From the bottom of my heart.

Some of you are my work buds, and what would I do without you? A cheery word word when I need it. Popping in the door to my office to check on me and just shoot some breeze. Safe places to go, sit and hide for a few minutes to escape the Merry-Go-Round. You make work fun and you make what we do very real. On those dark days when we've lost people we hold dear and are working together to help families and friends grieve loss and celebrate life, I think that our friendship and bonds come together and we are a powerful presence of love and life and God's gracious goodness. It is one of my life's honors to work and sing and laugh and cry and pray and be a part of The Church House staff alongside of you!

Some of you are my church friends and family. How dear I hold you in my heart these days. The past few years have brought such a depth of care in our small circle. Your friendship, support and prayers have helped renew my spirit and kept me going at times. We've danced with Good Neighbors, helped families in economic need, worshiped, discussed theology, doctrine and practice. We hold hands, join forces and do what needs to be done, even when we disagree or have doubts about the right way to do that, exactly. What a blessing you are in my life!

Some of you are friends from my past, reconnected through facebook. It is such a joy to know of your comings and goings again. Seeing pictures of spouses, children and grandchildren I've never met. Knowing that everyone has had ups and downs and most of us have grown up to be reasonable folks. We can laugh, joke and share experience through status posts, pictures and silly facebook games. I like facebook, simply because not a day goes by that there isn't something posted that makes me smile. How great is that?

Some of you are email friends. Deep and serious debate, discussion, pondering, mentoring, sharing of concerns and humor. I am so thankful for a venue to keep in touch with people for whom I care deeply, but with whom time spent together is near impossible due to distance and life circumstances. Oh! how I love your emails!

Blynda, you are a category unto yourself. You and me. Love at first sight. Who needs those SAS when we have each other? Our mission trips are among the most valued experiences of my life. Can you count the tears and anger and laughter and husbands and disasters and joys and dreams and disappointments we have shared?(That didn't come out right. NO sharing of husbands...we've lived through husbands. That sounds better!) I think not. And we are smart girls who can count a lot of things! I know that I have in you someone who would viciously fight tigers for me, anytime-anywhere. And I for you. That, my friend is rare! Who knew that we could have lived in the same state for a mere 9 months and remain best friends for the rest of our lives? You define what it means to me to be and have a friend. I adore you. By the way...your mother owes me this month's installment of 'I'll pay you to be Blyn's friend!'

Some of you transcend several of those categories, and we see each other and are intergral parts of daily life and the richness that your presence in my everyday life brings is beyond compare. I am eternally thankful for your gift of time and tears and yuks and lunches and dinners and side-by-side, face-to-face friendship. You have each rescused me more times than I can count and you are part of what makes this journey so meaningful.

Some of you are the precious mix of friend and family. Something I believe to be very rare and that I hold very dear and close to my heart. I learn such amazing things from you. I know what unconditional love is because of you. I know that when push comes to shove, you will be there. No questions asked. And not out of obligation, but because of the genuine affection that transcends family bonds and makes us blood kin as well as friends.I feel your presence beside me, though distance may separate us, with every breath I take. I love you, but I also like you! I really like you!

Of course, no list of friends would be complete without my Rocket Man. He completes me. We have such a good deal. He is my friend, but not my girl friend. Thats good, too, because he would be a terrible girlfriend! Am I right? If you know him, you are nodding and saying, "Amen!" aren't you? {I know way too many women who want their husbands to be their girlfriends. I've seldom seen it work. That editorial comment was free of charge. Back to the Rocket Man.} He is the funniest human I have ever known and even in the darkest of circumstances...and life has thrown us more than a few of those...we laugh together. He's the person I'd rather do nothing at all with, or something I don't want to do than to be anywhere else on the planet without him. After 11 years, I keep wondering if that thing is going to cross my path that makes me want to be anywhere in the world besdies where he is. Hasn't happened so far. Ask anyone. If That Rocket Man is home, I am, too. If he is working weekends, I am there with him if it is humanly possible. Just no one I'd rather be with. What a lucky Mollianne I am! He has agreed to keep this deal going for the rest of our lives.

So, to all my friends...work buds, facebook and email, church family and friends, girlfriends and guyfriends, old friends and new friends, old/new friends, family who are also friends, my BFF Blynda and my Rocket Man...from the bottom of my heart I thank you for who and what you are and what you mean to me.

You know who you are!