A Good Friend

You never know the depth of the love you can have for someone until they do something so deep and so meaningful that you least expect, and your heart is overwhelmed by the compassion and love that they show you. My friend, Terri, is one of those people. We met, by chance, some godawfulo long time ago. I was a freshman in high school and she was a senior. We met in a drama classroom. I didn't take drama but a guy I knew hung around with the drama scene and so I ended up in this room with people I didn't know. And I met Terri. She graduated that year and we only really ran into each other at the local library, where she worked. When I was 16 and a junior, she helped me apply for a job at that same library, and we worked together for the next 2 years until I went away to college. She ended up graduating from college and moving on from the library. We kept in contact via letters and, when email became more mainstream, email. She was the maid of honor at my wedding; I was one of her bridesmaids. We both traveled to get to each other's weddings and, in those brief moments, shared lifetimes. She's had two beautiful boys over the last few years and, when I needed a friend desperateley, she left her youngest who wasn't even a year old, to travel to Pennsylvania for Nick and Sophie's Memorial Mass. No questions. I sent out the date and within a few minutes, she had emailed me back and said she was making flight arrangments. I dont know what we would have done without her. She greeted people at the church. She made sure everyone had a program and memorial card. At the house, she made sure the hords of people were fed and that glasses were full. And afterwards, when the falling apart happened, she was there to catch the pieces of us. She held us while she cried with us, laughed with us, shared our memories with us. And, when each day was a struggle, she would email a compassionate note, a prayer, something... When I became pregnant with Alexander, she was the first person we told, and she walked his journey with us every step of the way. She was our baby boy's godmother and sent up, I'm sure, just as many prayers for his well being as we did. She was the first call we made after telling our parents. And, once again, she was some calm in the midst of a ranging storm.

She remembers their birthdays, even the monthlies that can get lost as days fade from one to another. She isn't afraid to say their names or to talk about them with me. And now, today, I am touched once again by her giving nature and for all that she does. See why here.

She has been supportive through every pregnancy. This time around, when I've freaked out because of this or that, she's been a voice of reason. When I'm scared, she reassures me. When I'm down, she picks me up. We live over 800 miles away from each other and I rarely get back, but when I do, she's one of the major stops on the list. We watch each other's lives through pictures and emails, but when we are together, it's as though only a day or so has gone by.

We all need a good friend. I've been blessed with many, too many to name. But today, it is one in particular that is on my mind. And for her- Thank You. For everything.