It was one of the few times in my life I remember feeling desperately lonely. I was busy. I had plenty to do to occupy my time. My days were often filled with people. I had a very active social life. But I was lonely. Desperately, longingly, deep-in-my-soul lonely. For a girlfriend. For a forever friend who would know me and love me anyway, who would walk through the tough seasons of marriage and child-raising and child-letting-go and empty nests and aging parents.
I was looking from the 20′s side of turning 30 to where I am now in my mid-50s and I wanted to have a girlfriend. A best friend. A BFF (even thought I don’t think that acronym had been coined yet) with whom I could look back and say, “remember when….?”
I found myself on my knees, praying for such a friend. Praying that God would prepare the way, prepare her heart and mine and give us the good sense to recognize each other when we met.
I found myself looking. At church. At the grocery store. At the PTA. At community events. Everywhere I went, my inner sonar was pinging off of women. This one? Are you the one? Is she the one? Oh, how I longed for my friend.
In the midst of this season, my family changed churches. Weary, I wondered if I had it in me to really invest in the new church. We were an Air Force family and knew we were due to move in less than a year. Oh, I joined the choir, because that is just what one did. We joined a young married Sunday School class. And when I was asked during the holidays to consider playing the piano for the 1st and 2nd grade choir in the new year, I sighed and agreed.
On the appointed day, in the appointed room at the appointed room I showed up. I walked in the room and there.she.was! It was her. My friend. I knew it. I just knew it.
Our eyes met and I swear, it was love at first sight. It was like something in us connected and I believe before we introduced ourselves, we broke into spontaneous laughter.
My friend. My friend who would walk through the seasons of life with me. My friend who would hide my secrets and share my joys and laugh at me when I’m ridiculous and tell me when I’m wrong and cheer me when I’m weary. My friend who would fight tigers for me. Who I could count on to stop what she was doing and pray for any concern I had. And I would do all of that for her. My friend. My BEST friend. One of the most precious words I know.
Her name is Blynda. We’ve raised our children together. We’ve nursed each other through divorce and dating and broken hearts and new-found love. Weve gone from diapers to potty training to first bras to pre-adolescence to full-blown teenaged years with drivers and dating. We’ve shared broken hearts over broken relationships, disappointments, unfulfilled dreams and over our children and their choices. We’ve watched our children leave home and each of us have children {and grandchildren} living with us now. We’ve rejoiced together over our personal successes and those of our families. We’ve cried over deaths of precious grandparents and we share concerns about our parents. We’ve laughed and shared communion and eaten wonderful meals and met for getaway weekends. We check in. We can tell with a word if something is wrong. She’s the one I want to tell my good news to immediately. She’s also the one I know will care about my not-so-good news. My Blynda.
Today is her birthday. While I haven’t seen her in way, way, waaaay too long…my wish for her is the same as if I”d seen her yesterday. The best birthday ever. I wish her joy and laughter and hugs and horses and dogs and good food and more laughter and a tiara and balloons and flowers. I wish her all these things and more. Because she was the answer to my prayers for a friend.
A forever friend.
I love you, Blynda Ruth!
Happy Birthday!
~Mollianne
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