Friends are the family we meet along the way.
In August of 2002, a great many military moms and dads descended on our area for the first anniversary party of our online support group. Some good friends - cyber friends of course - whom I had never met in person but had been chatting with for months came in from Illinois
for the celebration and they stayed here at the house. We had a great time - but I wasn't very savvy on trying to get us to the places we needed to go. There were detours - real and accidental. But we finally got to our anniversary party and had a wonderful time. At the restaurant, there was a display of patriotic arts and crafts which were for sale. Kimmy, a military mom from Illinois and one of the moms (Linda was the other) staying with me for the weekend and had been in the car as I pleasantly and very efficiently took the most aggravating detours. First I missed the exit from the airport because we were laughing and talking. I don't think they will ever let me forget that. After that it just went downhill and it culminated in getting lost on the way to Niagara Falls. One other lady who had come from Arizona was very unhappy with me. But getting back to the patriotic crafts, Kim bought a placque for me - with a pretty painting of a country scene...a quiet treelined road. And the placque said:
"Friends are the family we meet along the way." Kim added "even on the detours." It was precious - still is. I still think of you and Linda often.
What made me post about this tonight is that today I was cleaning off my kitchen desk - my "nook" as Ron calls it. It has two shelves above it where I put my treasured nick nacks...the little white lamb Laurie painted in Sunday School for me when she was four..it has a heart shaped piece of paper with some yarn strung through it and is around the lamb's neck. On the heart is written...."with love to my mommy from Jesus' little lamb." The heart shaped magnets the kids gave to me - you know - all those little things that need a special place. And on the top shelf, right next to the lamb, is my plaque from Kimmy.
Yes, friends ARE the family we meet along the way - oh my goodness what would I do without the friends God has blessed me with?
I want you to know that I treasure you all. Life does have many detours - but God always brings us back to where I should be. And all along the way...there you are, blessing my life.
I hope that when my kids are my age, they will have this blessing as well.
Thank you Lord.
God bless our troops and those who love them.
Just a PS to add - I remember also, meeting Cathy who showed us how to do the happy dance. I think she is the original happy dancer. Thanks, Cathy.
5 comments:
Wow!!! Almost 5 years ago, but some days it seems like just yesterday. I can still remember coming around the corner at the airport and there you were smiling and waving at us. I also remember our little detours...lol...It was such a very special time being together with special friends.
Indeed, friends are the family we meet along the way. There's another saying I found the other day. It goes something like this...Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
Last year there were many friends who did that for me. I didn't always get to meet my friends in person, though. I didn't always know their names or where they lived or what they looked like. These are the people I met through my blog, the ones who helped me deal with my son's deployment, but they are friends nonetheless, and are just as important to me as the ones I can see... :)
Kbug...
I agree with you 100 percent about the friends we meet through our blogs - and I also like your little saying about friends lifting us to our feet. Indeed, you do.
hugs.
I had forgotten all about that plaque. But as soon as I started reading the story..I was laughing. The was the roundest about way to get anywhere that I had ever been. And I know that Linda and I were about ready to kill for a smoke.
I think of you often. Ben is going in to the Army so I guess I have to get another Blue star banner. The other was taken down 3 years ago when Chuck came home.
Thank you so much for the great memories...even if it took us a detour to get back together.
I remember you also Sue Laurie(Cheeses name for you). teehee
I remember Linda, also.
Yes, I can still do the happy dance.
I am sitting here trying to remember the other lady, who had a son in the air force. I remember meeting her. She was such a nice lady. I cannot think of her name????
It is hard to believe it has been 5 years.
Post a Comment