Friends

It's my last day in Oregon. I've had a great time with Karen...lots of fun memories. There's no one in my life that can make me laugh more, and I trust Karen implicitly. I am so thankful for her friendship.

When looking back at my life, I never really had any true friends throughout most of it. I moved a lot growing up, and it became easy to walk away from people. In school, and as a young adult, the friends I had never really knew me. They might share themselves with me, but I never gave any part of myself to them. In the end, I knew they weren't really friends, because they were OK with just knowing who I was on the surface. In most cases that was just a face I put on to hide myself. It wasn't even really me.

It wasn't till I was near 30 years old when I became friends with Karen. I didn't go into it expecting much. She was a girl that grew up in the church...her dad was a pastor. I was a girl who more or less grew up in a bar. Many in my family were alcoholics. What could Karen and I have in common? Nothing that I could see. I'm sure Karen felt the same. God saw something different though. He used our differences to help each other grow. Through time our friendship blossomed and now 25+ years later, she has become one of the best friends I will ever have, and I am a better person because of her. I will forever be thankful to the Lord for bringing Karen into my life.

Thank you, Karen, for being someone with whom I can laugh, cry or be outright goofy. I never worry about what you'll think of me no matter what my mood. Thanks too for the free room and board the last 10 days. I'm leaving rested and more able to take on the world, because of having a friend like you in it!