Tiffany

In a few days, it will be 25 years since I met Tiffany Ann Smith. I was an immature, awkward 11 year old girl on that day that our youth group took a trip to AstroWorld in Houston, Texas. Tiffany was a year older than me, and slightly less awkward, but still a teennage girl trying to figure this crazy world out.   Instantly we were friends, although truly, she took on more of a big sister role in my life.

God is good. And God knew that in just a few months, my family life would take some incredibly difficult twists and turns. God knew that I would need a good friend, a Christian friend, to be by my side through those very tough years. And she was right by my side through it all, encouraging me, loving me, praying with me. And in the midst of all those really dark days, she made me laugh. A lot!  I can honestly say that I don't know who or where I would be today, had she not been in my life. 

Years passed and I moved away. Even though it was only 22 years ago, things were very different back then. Cell phones didn't really exist. They did have those ridiculously large phones in cars that required an antenna to touch the clouds. Text messaging was yet to be discovered.  Even long distance phone calls still cost an arm and a leg.  So if you wanted to keep in touch, you better get some paper and a pen. And that's what we did.  We wrote letters back and forth throughout all of our high school years. Between daily (yes daily!!!) letters, weekend long distance phone calls, and summer visits to each other, we maintained our close friendship. 

Years passed. We went to different colleges. And by 19, Tiffany was married.  I was her maid of honor. I was a little worried that marriage would change our friendship, but it didn't. We remained close. Then she had babies. We remained close. I was married, with her standing by my side. Still, we remained woven into each other's daily lives. 

It wasn't until I had Brooks, and moved to South Dakota, that we started to drift. Slowly, but surely. By this point we had been best friends for 20 years, a pretty solid foundation. Those daily phone calls went to weekly phone calls, and then to monthly phone calls, where we would vomit information on each other in an attempt to catch each other up on all of our goings on. As time passed, it became fewer and farther between. By the time Presley was born, it was all text messages. Even on birthdays. And it broke my heart. I missed my friend so much. 

There were a few phone calls where I expressed this, and we said we would do better, but it remained the same. All I could do was pray. And that's what I did. Every time I missed her, I prayed. But in my heart, I had released the idea of ever picking our friendship up where it left off. 

Especially in the last few months, I had begun to really ache for, and even mourn, our friendship. Last month, after a few text messages back and forth, Tiffany said she wanted to bring her 2 little ones to see me and visit. She had never met Brooks and Presley, so I was thrilled beyond words. I couldn't wait to spend time with her and her children. 

She came in Thursday evening.  After getting the kids (and hubby) in bed, we stayed up talking till 1:30am. Like we had never been apart. No tension. No hesitation. Just sharing our lives. Friday we took the kids to the Dallas World Aquarium, swimming, and out for pizza. Saturday, we went to the park, and then to the water park.

Again on Saturday night, we stayed up way too late, like we had SO many nights before. I can honestly say I was sad when she left later that morning. But when I walked into the office, I saw this note, in her familiar bubbly handwriting. The  same handwriting that I pulled out of my mailbox almost daily for years.

I'm excited to see what the next 25 years of friendship will bring for us. I'm thankful that God knows my heart and has renewed our bond.