Life's Nice Surprises

A really neat thing happened after my dad died. It's odd, really -- to hear someone say that. But... once you hear about it, you'll be feeling like you've just watched a Hallmark movie. At least, that's how I look at it.

Daddy died of congestive heart failure on February 21st, 2007. I sat by his bed with my hand on his arm so that he'd know someone was there. I would have talked with him, but I was too choked up. It's very hard to watch someone you love struggling to breathe...and wondering when the last breath will be taken.

At his memorial service on February 24, many old family friends showed up to pay homage to my dad. My brother, Pat, gave a Eulogy that surpassed any I've ever heard. I wish I had it on tape. Not that I'm trying to be morbid, but he so aptly expressed the love that my father had for his children, and how he prayed for them, how he loved my mama.... It was hard for Pat to do, I'm sure -- but he did a superb job.

There at the service was a lady named Susan. She had sung with a quartet that my dad had sung with for years, and her husband was my best friend's dad, and my daddy's best friend. His name was Bob Maddux, and he had gone home to be with Jesus in the early 80's. I so wanted to ask her about my friend, Julie. I hadn't seen or heard from Julie since my college years, and I had no idea where she was, what she was doing. But... I didn't ask Susan. Somehow I was talking with Julie's step sister and she told me that Julie was a teacher in Alexandria, Indiana and that Julie's husband taught in the Delta schools.

I did some sleuthing after that and found Julie! However I didn't contact her right away. I was a little nervous. I mean, SOMETHING must have caused us to go our separate ways.... MAYBE she could care less if she ever saw or heard from me again....

So I waited. And I traveled constantly down memory lane. Julie. We were just little tots when we became friends. We went to the same little country church for the first 11 years of our lives. We spent Sunday afternoons together..... spent the night at each other's homes.... played house... read and shared books with each other... traveled the United States and Canada together. She was my best friend. I never had a friend like her after that. I wondered what she was like now and would she welcome hearing from me?

I finally emailed her. (Got her email address off the school website). After all, she didn't have to answer an email, didn't have to talk to me, and I vowed not to continuously check my email day and night til I heard from her. Alot of good that did! Good thing I didn't follow through on that, cuz she emailed me right back! It made me feel really good to know that she had often wondered about me, too. (And she was glad to hear from me! How cool is that?)

Not too long after we were able to get together, Steve and I, and Julie and her husband, Sam. It just felt so natural and the years just fell away as we talked, traveled together down memory lane, joked about the spats we used to have as kids....

Julie called me last night as she was heading home from work -- just out of the blue. I hadn't talked with her in several weeks, and was feeling sorta down. And after we talked and laughed and hung up I just thanked God once again for opening the door on an old friendship... with Julie.