Best Friends

While I was in the lunch room heating up my lunch today, I noticed two women laughing and chatting as they sat down to eat together. I know that they are good friends in the real world (i.e. outside of work) and that their children play together and their families spend time together on weekends. I couldn't help think how blessed they are to be able to share both their personal and professional lives together and I wished I could let them know how precious these times are.

About fifteen years ago there was a short-lived TV show called The Mommies. I loved the fun way that it portrayed two Moms, best friends, navigating waters of motherhood and marriage.

I have been blessed to have had three special friends during my lifetime, each one unique and at a different stage of life, and each one who has been a "best" friend. I'm doubly-blessed because I am still in touch with each one of them in some manner. In fact, I'll bet that each on of them will be reading this post.

I was thirteen years old and terrified to be the new kid in town when I met Danna. We went through the awkwardness of adolescence together, skipped school, talked about boys, yakked on the phone, and talked about the future. She was going to be a commercial artist and I was going to be a writer. Then we graduated from high school and our lives took separate paths.

I met Dannielle when were both standing on a street corner waiting for a bus with children and babies in tow. She was starting a Mom's group and I was one of the first to join. Over the years we raised our children and drank countless cups of coffee together and talked about everything under the sun. We even shared a passion for writing and talked about writing a book together. Eventually our children grew older, we began to work outside of the home, and went in different directions.

I met Wanda when I started a new job almost twenty years ago. We used to joke that it was the best of times and the worst of times because we worked so hard but still had many laughs together. After she retired, we started meeting for coffee every week and our friendship grew stronger and deeper. Wanda knows me in way way that no one else does, and the best thing is that she still loves me!

When Gerry and I moved away a few years ago losing that face-to-face relationship with my BFF left a large void in my life. I miss Wanda and I can't imagine having another friend like her in my life. It would take twenty years to get to the place where we are now, for goodness sakes!

Still....I'd like to have another friend to have coffee with once in a while......

8 comments:

Carmen said...

You skipped school? :O

LOL! (so did I)

I know what you mean though. I've always had best friends all through life, and I'm still in touch with them too. I don't do surface relationships all that well. I need to be able to trust someone, and that takes commitment and loyalty. I love and value the best friends I have.

Better is a friend nearby than a brother far away!

Julie said...

Linda... Oh how I hear your heart... Oh how I relate...
Sometimes I ache for that face to face relationship where we share heart to hear... I've been several years now without it...

Relationships have gotten lost... I hate it!

Loved this post!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and your sweet words to me. You blessed me greatly today!

Thank you!!
Julie

Terri Tiffany said...

Well you know I feel just like you do. I miss my good friend and talking on the phone helps but is never enough. I've started my group of ladies at church to meet but I feel the pressure of being the facilitator and that is hard. I wish I had an answer for all of us:)

Technonana said...

Thanks for posting this... It's wonderful when God brings friends into our lives, it seems that some are only there for a season, but others are there for a Lifetime!!
Great Post!!!

Kathleen said...

I pray the Lord will perfect that which concerns you, and that He fulfills this desire of your heart. He is a Savior Who knows and values close relationships, having hand-picked His own BFFs. I'm thinking He has the perfect someone(s) in mind for you too!

If you lived closer, you could have coffee with me any day!

Be blessed,
Kathleen

Janna Leadbetter said...

Such friends are indespensible! I'm blessed to have one or two like this, too, and we have to cherish 'em.

If I'm ever in your area (or vice versa), we're having coffee. :)

Donna M. Kohlstrom said...

How precious are friendships!

And I love my bloggie friends. Just wish they were next door. What a blast we'd have!

If you're ever in FL you'll have to stop by!

Linda Hoye said...

Carmen - yes I skipped school...hard to believe, hey?!
Julie - thank you for stopping by. And thank you also for that wonderful post on your blog :-)
Terri - I've been thinking about your new group and wondering how it has been going.
Sassy - Hmmm....I wish we could have coffee together!
Karen - we can both be thankful for those friendships in the past, can't we?
Janna - it's a date, for sure!
Donna - you're right - wouldn't it be fun if all of our blogging friends could get together!