Friends

Today I am grateful for friends, especially my best friends.  There are all sorts of friends.  There are many different types of friends, but the friend that got me thinking tonight is named Aleta.  She lives just down the street from me and we may seem like an unlikely pair.  You see we are different in many ways.  She works, I stay at home.  My kids are little, her kids have kids older then mine.  Well, I guess that's really where the differences end, the stuff on the outside is all that is different.  I'm sure glad it didn't keep us apart.  I met Altea when she was my visiting teacher (It's a church calling where two women go visit other women in the church ward to make sure they are doing well, give a spiritual message, and talk)  She used to come for very short visits because she thought that's what I wanted since I was so busy with my two boys.  One day I told her what I really wanted was long visits.  If she had time could she come visit me for an hour or so so I can have someone to talk to and have some adult conversation.  So she did.  Every month she came for an hour or more.  Every Sunday she would hold my baby so I could listen, and she was always there with a smile and cheery words.  Then she was released from her calling and we were both so sad, but thankfully we have still remained friends.
Well for the past two weeks I have really been struggling.  Tonight I took the kids on the walk they have been begging for and we went to her house.  She was home and we sat and talked for a while, then she walked me home and talked some more.  She read my kids books, talked with me, sympathized, empathized, and encouraged. Her parting hug was so warm and comforting it was like a hug from my mom and my best friend all in one. When she left I felt like the sun had broken through the clouds again.  I am so grateful for friends like her.