Friend.

It started at a tea party almost thirteen years ago.
A group of girls came over to my house for a baby shower tea. Nice girls, proper tea, it was good. But one of those things wasn't quite like the others. One of the girls was explaining something and got up and stood on one of my dining room chairs. This surprised me. While she was up there, I happened to notice that she was wearing a floor-length retro '70's dress. Wow. Not normal tea-party attire, but groovy.
Unbidden it popped into my mind, "I like her."
I still do.
We managed an escape this weekend. Just a night up at the cottage. Our loving husbands watched our nine children (combined total) and let us have time to talk and laugh and eat and pray. [Blessings on you good men.] One of the first things we had to do when we got up there was strip the girl's bed and wash the sheets so she could sleep there.
"It's so much better to do it together," she said.
I gave her my smiling, I have no idea what you're talking about look.
"The bed, it's so much better to make it with two people. Didn't your mother ever say that?" she asked.
I explained that I have NO recollections of my mother ever saying that or of her making my bed. (Side: Uh mom, did you ever wash my sheets????)
Sheets done, we rambled long through woods and country roads. We remembered so many funny things and added a few new ones to the list. Our recollections turned to reflections which led to prayer.
She's my friend and I thank God for her.
She dropped me back home the next morning and the rest of the day her words ran stream-like through my mind, "It's so much better to do it together."
Life is good. Life together is better.
I don't know if my mother ever told me that either.
But it doesn't matter because I've found it out for myself.