Miles away

People come in and out of your life.  Some of them you get fantastically close to, others you aren't terribly sad to say goodbye to, some friendships fade and others remain incredibly loyal.  Loyalty is one of those qualities that is inordinately special and creates bonds across oceans and through years.  Tomorrow one of these inordinately special friends that I have is getting married.  My heart is so close to her, while my physical presence has to be oceans away.  I remember the first time I met her at a table in the Boston University student center, wide eyed and excited as a Florida girl coming to the frigid Northeast.  Talk about culture shock.  Over the proceeding months and early years that followed,  many tears fell and doubts and heartaches were felt as she wondered why life took the turns that it did.  Through all of these, Elizabeth grew to become like a little sister to me.  She has been with me through the first years of my kids life and I'm so grateful for the hero that she is to them. I'm laughing out loud thinking about our rap dance to a memorable rendition of "Pants on the ground,"  as I was desperately trying any physical exertion possible to induce what seemed to be an eternal last trimester of my third pregnancy.  I remember the awkward moments of her up close and personal exposure to the world of impassioned lactation consultants at the hospital with Kevin and me after Lexi's birth.  I remember pumpkin patches and apple orchards, overnight babysitting adventures she and another dear friend gladly took on with my kids consisting of ear infections, bronchitis, antibiotics and the dog needing needing extensive hands on care and cleaning after a ruptured anal gland (sorry to be so graphic!)--now that is true friendship!  And amazingly enough, I know she'd do it a hundred times again for me.  I don't know where in that timeline a friendship blurs into being like family, but that it did with Elizabeth, I am sure.  I specifically remember her junior year of college as many seemingly open doors in her life began to shut.  I remember traipsing up three flights of stairs being 8 months pregnant with Lexi to her dorm room and over her very gourmet-universite` style grilled cheese and tomato soup, contemplating the myriad of reasonings that God might have in why life was as it was.  I remember the deep lessons in trusting God she learned and I remember saying we'd laugh one day as I told her "I told you so," as she would see the desires of her heart fulfilled. Little did either of us know that would take her to Africa where she devoted herself to missionary work there, and now in a matter of mere hours, she will be buttoning a white dress walking down the aisle to the man of her dreams in South Africa, and I couldn't be happier.  Happy wedding day to the almost Mrs. Fulton--I wish I was there!