This photo is from my twenty-first birthday--a month before I entered the MTC, three months before I left for Japan. The year prior to this, I had left BYU after my sophomore year to return home, running from a disastrous relationship. I was working on re-building my self-esteem. Over my shoulder in the photo is my dear friend. She also had things going on in her life that she hadn't planned on. Unsure times for both of us. I think others knew we were each hurting, but we were the only ones who knew everything.
We hung out together. Hours spent at her parents' house and mine. We went to church activities together. We were each others' listening ears and lent each other our shoulders to cry on. I can't count the hours we spent just sitting out in the car in my front driveway talking and healing. Some may call it the "alignment of the stars." It was almost like we were designed for the tasks we had to perform. God knew I needed her. She was a tender mercy.
Before facebook (shall we call that BFB), I hadn't seen her since I got married. That was eighteen years ago. It ended up that we had a common facebook friend who lives in my ward. She reconnected us.
I went to a church meeting and the people there were all bashing facebook. I have to admit, when you seek out time wasters and past flames (and attempt to reignite them), facebook is a bad thing, but there is a lot of good to be found there too--as with all things in life. I, personally, am grateful to facebook to reuniting me with this friend and so many others.
Last night, she brought her daughter and came for dinner. We created a video for her mom's memorial service. She's the friend, who I mentioned in a previous post, whose mom passed away this past week.
All those years ago, did I ever really tell her how much she meant to me? Did I ever thank her for the tears she caught and the time she took on my behalf? I'm so glad I get to do that now. I hope that someday I will get to repay all those who have blessed my life. Thank you Julie, I love you!
3 comments:
That is so sweet. What a great friend you made. I, for one, LOVE Facebook for that reason. I've hooked back up with friends I haven't seen in years or wanted to, but didn't know how. However, I've also seen where a friend's spouse hooked up with a past "love" and now they are trying to rebuild their lives from it all. You went to Japan on your mission, ay? I went to Austria. It was a wonderful time. I work for international sales and my boss is over Asia. He's currently in Tokyo. It sounds like a wonderful place to be!
I agree. FB can be a time waster, but for my own personal self I've gotten far more good from it than bad! So many people I probably never would have spoken to again in my life, now I get to see them every day.
I got to re-connect with a grade school girlfriend and so I think FB can be good.
Rosey
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