Friendships are usually for a reason, a season, or forever. I don't know where I first heard this but it has proved so very true over the years. I find it very helpful, because I, like many, would beat myself up if a friendship came to a natural end, because the reason was over, or the season had passed. Many friendships need things in common to create them, and to sustain them.
A few don't.
Last week I spent almost a week in the most beautiful house in Little Haven in Wales. Most importantly I was with some of the best friends I have in the world. (I have other special friends, I'm grateful for this, please know that not naming you here doesn't lesser that.)
The reason was bittersweet. Di, who I have known since we met in antenatal classes whilst pregnant with our first babies, has secondary cancer, and an almighty battle on her hands. But she has God on her side, and an army behind her. We, her daughters and her friends are part of that army, and a little time for us was needed. Di is a lovely example of a forever friend. Initially it was a reason (small babies are a great reason!) and there have been times when we've seen less of each other, but we always know that the other is there. We don't 'need' to do things to prove it. Its a rock solid friendship. I'm very grateful that the trip to America in May to see Angie realigned our friendship, that God, in His amazingly clever way, set things in place to support Di through this time, and I'm glad to be part of that.
The May trip also brought Sarah and Ruth back together as friends, and its lovely to see that friendship growing. The Wales trip also gave me chance to develop my friendship/ second mothering with Ruth, and a chance to get to know Martha again.
I don't think I'm going to try and capture all I feel about my beautiful daughter here - but I love that we are friends as well as mother and daughter.
Which leaves Angie - there are no words that truly describe how much Angie means to me. We found a song many years ago that has the line - ' a friend's a friend forever if the Lord's the Lord of them'. Angie had been praying for a friend in Abingdon and I arrived! We had our babies together. We survived the first move to an hour away, and then the move to various places in the US. I love this woman beyond words, she is my soul sister. Forever, in a heat beat. There is nothing she can do that would ever change it. Sometimes we 'speak' daily, sometimes not for months. It doesn't matter. One of us calls and the other is there. She has my back, and I have hers.
