Memorial Day weekend 1997, David and I, along with our three young children headed off to a church camping trip in the Wichita Mountains in SW Oklahoma. We, along with several other couple friends had recently left our church home to help start a new church plant in a neighboring town. We were all young and ambitious. We were raising young children, had lots of energy, and a desire to bring others to know Jesus. Our pastor, was a young guy in his 20’s. He and his wife worked countless hours to get this church up and running. He did a great job of inviting new couples, many of them work friends, to join our fellowship.
During that weekend we met a young couple with a 6-year-old daughter and a newborn daughter. We too had a small baby just 2 months older. Our older children played together during the trip. We parents tried to befriend this couple, but the thing I remember most about them at that time was their precious baby girl. She HATED camping! She cried most of the trip. I felt so bad for the parents trying to keep her quiet and get her settled in their tent.
As the next two years progressed, this couple became close friends of ours. We did most everything together. They helped us move and re-roof our home. We babysat their daughter when it came time for their third daughter to be born. We hosted baby showers for each other, went on double dates, shared kids’ birthday parties, and had many fun family outings together. The men camped and deer hunted together. They would go on yearly pheasant hunts to the OK Panhandle each December. We ladies took up scrapbooking together. We spent many hours gathered around the table, pouring over photos, and sharing our life stories.
As our kids grew, theirs went to public school and ours were homeschooled. This allowed less time to visit as often, but we still saw each other as much as we could. They moved out of the city, then we moved to our farm, placing our homes an hour away from each other. We still would call and see each other every few months. Eventually our teens became involved with many activities and it became even more difficult to find time to spare. We started inviting them out to our home each Thanksgiving week. They bring their camper, park in our yard, and stay with us from Wednesday to Sunday. We eat, talk, laugh, watch movies, the guys hunt, and we generally enjoy being together! It is amazing that our hearts are so mended together.
We have attended each other children’s weddings, our grandchildren’s baby showers, our parent’s anniversary parties, and our grandparent’s funerals. We know each other’s families and are readily accepted as ‘one of the family’ both directions.
During the year of Millie’s illness, they have stood by us in so many ways. They have sat with us, cried with us, and hugged us at each new disappointment. They would go out of their way to bring us ‘real’, yummy food, and be willing to eat with us just to break the silence of the hospital. On our 29th anniversary, just days after Millie’s diagnosis, they showed up with a tablecloth, flowers, a full steak dinner and dessert to her hospital room to help us celebrate.
Millie loved them so much and always had a smile for her friend ‘Mr Jason’. I am pretty sure she had him wrapped around her finger as she often called and requested for him to bring her fruit and yogurt parfaits (she called them berries) and mocha frappes from McDonalds. He never let her down. She knew ‘Ms Corine’ would always be up for a game, playing photo filters on her phone or even swinging on Millie’s playground together.
When Millie passed, they came and listened. They came to check on us, ate with us to make sure we ate, and helped to pass that horrible waiting time. By our request, they sat with us in the family section during the funeral. You see, these are the types of friends that become your family. Since then, we have only seen each other a few times. They have driven out to visit, we ladies have met for dinner, the men have met for lunch. They continue to share their love and concern for us. Just this morning we received a text before church saying, “Can we come out this afternoon? I’ll cook dinner.” You see even in our own home they still serve us. Our hearts are eternally grateful for the friends that God has placed in our lives.
Whether it be the good years, the hard years, the life joys, or the heart breaks, doing life together makes you appreciate your good friends. Your forever friends.
If you share these friends with us (and I know many of you do!) you love them like we do. You are welcome to share in the comments how they have blessed your life.
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