Friends

I have found that you have different kinds of friends in your lifetime. There are the friends that you have just because you are around each other every day. You might or might not have picked these people as friends under other circumstances. Then you have friends for a time. Maybe you have a good friend in college and then after college is over you really are not friends anymore. Sometimes you grieve the loss of certain friendships. Friendships that you thought were more than circumstantial friendships. But if friendships disappear, they were only true at the time. Then there are those friends who are lifetime friends. The friends that are there for you no matter what changes in your respective lives. The friends that you can call after not talking to them for a couple of months and it is like you talked to them yesterday. The friends that you call when you face great grief and sadness because you know that they care about you. The friends that you will still be friends with in 20 years. Alison is one of my lifetime friends. I have known her since we met at summer orientation before our Freshman year in college. Neither one of us had roommates and we decided to room together. What a blessing that has been for me. She is a friend who knows the embarrassing stories from my past. She would listen then and never say, "what are you thinking!" and she doesn't bring them up now. (I am referring to a certain guy that I dated my Freshman year, what was I thinking?!) She was always mindful of my feelings. She has always been a true friend and I am so thankful for her friendship. That is why I hurt so badly for her now. Yesterday, she had to bury her son. I went to the visitation. I have nothing but respect and admiration for the way that she and her husband are dealing with the present set of circumstances. They have suffered a tremendous loss and they are hurting. In the midst of their pain, they are giving glory to God. They are relying on God and trusting God. Mostly, they are displaying strength and faith to those around them. What a tremendous influence to those around them. I would be a basketcase! Please continue to pray for this family and for the 3 babies still trying to grow stronger. Pray especially for their 7 year old because she is so very sad that her baby brother died. Here is a poem that Alison's brother wrote about Hunter.

H is for al the HOPES and dreams,
Of watching you play with kids and on ball teams;

U for our lack of UNDERSTANDING of life and death, time and
place, but how we will always remember your baby face;

N for the NAIVETY of a child,
Of a young boy's simplicity of wanting to run wild;

T stands for TREMENDOUS blessing of mine,
To realize how love can exist in such a short time;

E is for the ENCOURAGEMENT of all,
To know that God will provide, especially after a fall;

R is for the REALITY of knowing that the quads now number
three, But there will always be an angel in heaven
nicknamed "BABY D"