The gift that keeps on giving

Sometimes I feel so blessed I'm almost embarrassed.  Such is true with these three friends.

Sally- someone I have known for going on 18 years.  Our lives have mostly intersected for the past 11, though.  She is kind, funny, gracious, honest, loyal, generous and long-suffering. We have walked through most of the significant life-stages together.  Engagement, newlywed, motherhood and soon we will share adoption as they prepare to bring home their son from China.

Amy- I met her when Steve and I were dating.  Her husband and Steve have been friends since college.  She is one of the most roll-with-it people I know.  She is such a good mom and an example to me of how to love your husband and kids well.  She has been there for me during all of my crisis over the past few years.  I can be 100% real with her.

Susie- we've known each other for a long time, but we started being really good friends about 5 years ago.  We had just brought Quinn home from China and they were getting ready to bring their son home from Rwanda  She is my spontaneous friend.  I have been able to count on her for any spur of the moment social/kid/mom emergency needs.  She makes me laugh.  We have supported each other through our bouts with cancer.  (There are not a lot of friends you can say that about.  I would have rather supported each other through something else...)  She and her family of six are getting ready to move to Brazil for three years.  I can't even talk about it because it hurts too much.  The only silver lining I can see in this deal is a potential trip to Brazil?

These are girls, that for this only child, I would seriously call sisters.

When you are 41 years old it feels weird talking about your *best friends* (isn't that so 3rd grade?) but they are. 

Being moms of 13 kids between us (with # 14 on the way from China) there are not nearly enough uninterrupted conversations, (coincidentally, our kids have all known each other from birth and in a way they are each others *cousins.*) not enough time to see movies together and we certainly don't go shopping together.  So for my birthday, Steve sent the 4 of us to a bed & breakfast for a night.

We sat on a porch and talked, we went to lunch - and talked, we went shopping - and talked, we stayed up until 1 am - and talked.  We caught a movie ( we only talked a touch during) but we talked all the way home from our trip.

My friendship with these women is magical.  We are all very different.  I'm sure I bug them to no end and we've had to work through some conflict here and there.  I know that their friendship is a gift.  I don't take it for granted.  I hope we grow old together.  My husband did an amazing job arranging the perfect birthday gift for me. 

Good luck topping this one, buddy.