Good Friends

I was surfing the Internet this weekend and ran across this picture: four friends having a fabulous time. You can tell they've been friends for years and really love each other … yes, I know they’re from a television show; that doesn’t change the images the picture brings to my mind.

When I lived in Georgia I would get together with three other ladies for Bible study. We never actually did a Bible study but it sounded good and guaranteed us the ability to get out of the house. (We did manage to pray almost each time we met, though…) And that picture makes me think of us. I have never laughed as much or cried as much or loved as much as I did when the four of us were together.

And now I’m 800 miles north of them and I miss them. Yes, we’re keeping in touch with phone calls and emails (except for one of them who has apparently lost her computer) but it just isn’t the same.

They got together with their kids last Friday at 1:30. I tried to call but with 10 kids, ages 2 to 10 running through the house they didn’t hear the phone ring.

Kathy called later in the day when she got my message. It was so great to hear her voice and catch up. I always enjoy the conversation but saying goodbye is never easy.

So for now we’ll keep writing emails and leaving messages on answering machines, trying to keep the connection going. And thankfully we are the kind of friends who, if we didn’t talk for months, when we got back together it would be like we’d never been separated.

That thought comforts me as I think about them, miles and miles south of me.