A friend moves away...

From a young age, I have always been very selective about who I let into my life. I was not one of those children that was wildly popular, but usually placed my faith in one or two friends who I felt a great loyalty and admiration for. These people were treasures to me, and I have cherished each and every one I have met over the years.

One of these friends was a woman I met through my daughter, back in 2003. Her daughter and my daughter became great friends; and, as a result, we began to see a lot of each other. This woman quickly became important to me for many different reasons. Aside from our daughters being close, I found her to be an amazing mother... full of patience and encouragement. She also took very good care of herself and her home (all you moms out there can relate how hard a task that can be at times). In addition to all these admiring traits, she loved to cook, laughed at all my jokes and made me want to be a better person.

One day, as we stood in the parking lot of the dance studio where our daughters were taking their lessons, she told me through tearful eyes that they were moving. Her husband was being transferred down south, thousands of miles away. We gave each other a hug and cried at the thought of our lives no longer being intertwined. How would I get along without my friend there to cheer me on and make witty observations over our daily challenges and joys?

After they settled in their new home, we took a flight down to see them. It was like old times with our kids playing and us cooking in the kitchen sharing our stories, laughing and listening to each other. One day we went for a walk to the neighborhood playground. It was a hot day, and the kids were far ahead on their scooters with us lagging behind, yelling warnings and helping our smaller children make their way. All of the sudden, we looked down and found a heart in the pavement! I stopped our whole group and made her take a picture of it on her phone.

To me this heart meant our love and friendship was solid and permanent like this hole in the pavement. Over the past 8 years we have kept in touch. Sometimes we talk more than other times; but always we remain friends, picking up right where we left off. No matter what path we may take, we know we can always count on our friendship. Love has no sense of time and is unchanging. As long as we have love to share with someone, we have access to something truly divine.