When I left Texas, I had quite a few friends of both the female and male variety. What I didn't have was a best friend, the kind that when they come along you just can't believe that it's taken you so long to find one another because your connection is almost immediate and so total. It's almost like falling in love, only without the romance part to it. I had a lot of friends, as I said, but what I lacked was that connection.
Don't get me wrong. My husband is and always will be my best friend. He knows me in ways that nobody on the face of the planet will ever know me. He has loved me through my worst days and some of my biggest mistakes. I appreciate him - but we are as different in personality as night is to day. We see things completely differently, which is great for a marriage but sometimes it's nice not to have to work so hard to understand the person you're with. Sometimes it's nice just to be around someone who gets you without you having to explain yourself.
I have an amazing baby sister who I love dearly, but we are also very different in a lot of ways. Besides, because I know how much influence I can have over her as a big sister, I'm a little more cautious in what I choose to share about myself. It's more like a parental relationship than a best friend situation. I know there are things she doesn't feel comfortable sharing with me, either, and that's probably as it should be.
When I got to Elko, I started getting involved trying to find that connection I'd been missing. I joined the choir and met some great ladies, but I didn't find it. I joined a mother's group full of really great women but I didn't find it there, either. I joined the art club hoping to make friends, but I didn't really connect very strongly with anybody. After nearly two years, I had just as many friends as I'd had back in Texas but I wasn't any closer to finding a best friend than I had been back then. Worse, I was bone achingly lonely and feeling more isolated than ever. I decided to pray about the matter.
God used my decision to become a member of Mother's group to connect me with Julie, one of the women who teaches Catechism classes. When the 5th grade class needed a teacher, Julie recommended me to Cathy, who directs our parish religious education program. I agreed to teach. That decision to teach led me to meet Cathy's daughter, Cat. She and I added each other to our Facebook accounts. This didn't lead to an immediate friendship, but it would eventually.
The turning point came when she asked if anyone was interested in joining her at a local ice cream parlor. I accepted, and we started getting to know each other. We then worked together to start a writer's group for Elko. Tonight, I took her out to celebrate her passing her Praxis II. As we talked, we realized we'd both been praying for the same thing - and she'd been praying for longer than I had! The right best friend was definitely worth the wait. It may have taken months, and it certainly worked through the decisions I made along the way, but as you can see God did indeed answer our prayers :) I feel happier than I have in a long time, and am glad that I serve a God who cares enough to answer prayers. Thank you, God, for my new best friend. Thank you, Cat, for being that friend!
Don't get me wrong. My husband is and always will be my best friend. He knows me in ways that nobody on the face of the planet will ever know me. He has loved me through my worst days and some of my biggest mistakes. I appreciate him - but we are as different in personality as night is to day. We see things completely differently, which is great for a marriage but sometimes it's nice not to have to work so hard to understand the person you're with. Sometimes it's nice just to be around someone who gets you without you having to explain yourself.
I have an amazing baby sister who I love dearly, but we are also very different in a lot of ways. Besides, because I know how much influence I can have over her as a big sister, I'm a little more cautious in what I choose to share about myself. It's more like a parental relationship than a best friend situation. I know there are things she doesn't feel comfortable sharing with me, either, and that's probably as it should be.
When I got to Elko, I started getting involved trying to find that connection I'd been missing. I joined the choir and met some great ladies, but I didn't find it. I joined a mother's group full of really great women but I didn't find it there, either. I joined the art club hoping to make friends, but I didn't really connect very strongly with anybody. After nearly two years, I had just as many friends as I'd had back in Texas but I wasn't any closer to finding a best friend than I had been back then. Worse, I was bone achingly lonely and feeling more isolated than ever. I decided to pray about the matter.
God used my decision to become a member of Mother's group to connect me with Julie, one of the women who teaches Catechism classes. When the 5th grade class needed a teacher, Julie recommended me to Cathy, who directs our parish religious education program. I agreed to teach. That decision to teach led me to meet Cathy's daughter, Cat. She and I added each other to our Facebook accounts. This didn't lead to an immediate friendship, but it would eventually.
The turning point came when she asked if anyone was interested in joining her at a local ice cream parlor. I accepted, and we started getting to know each other. We then worked together to start a writer's group for Elko. Tonight, I took her out to celebrate her passing her Praxis II. As we talked, we realized we'd both been praying for the same thing - and she'd been praying for longer than I had! The right best friend was definitely worth the wait. It may have taken months, and it certainly worked through the decisions I made along the way, but as you can see God did indeed answer our prayers :) I feel happier than I have in a long time, and am glad that I serve a God who cares enough to answer prayers. Thank you, God, for my new best friend. Thank you, Cat, for being that friend!
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