Dancing on Fly Paper

May 22nd, 2010 – It’s cloudy and still over Silverlake today. No song birds twittering at the Evan’s compound yet. No ducks quacking for Connie to feed them their cracked corn. No geese honking overhead. No neighbors mowing yet or even out walking their dogs. Perhaps everyone is sleeping in to catch up on their rest.

It’s a good day for that. It’s 8:15 on a quiet Saturday morning.

My mind is at peace and mirrors the still lake I can see from my livingroom windows. But inside, my heart is dancing! Rick came home yesterday after battling for his life in a Portland hospital the past eight days.

Chrissy came with me to fetch him and bring him home. Chrissy is my amazing friend who instinctively knows when to show up and help.

She is 25, won many Special Olypics medals, and inspires everyone who knows her. In the past few days, she accompanied me to the hospital the first day Rick was in ICU, spent the night twice, accompanied me to church, visited me in my classroom when I was at school, and accompanied me yesterday when I went to pick him up.

She “goes the distance” with whatever she undertakes and is one of the most faithful friends I have.

Rick really appreciates her, too. They have a goofy friendship, full of teasing and fun. Chrissy knows how to bring out the best in him and he definitely appreciates her sense of humor and her inspirational dependability. They also keep each other in line and torment each other on occasion, but what great friendship would be complete without a little tormenting, right?

Since Friday night is our “Date Night,” I brought us delicious “Grill Burgers” at DQ on the way home from the hospital (on sale for only $1.99!), onion rings, french fries and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Blizzard (Rick), two Mountain Dews (me & Chrissy), and we all celebrated Rick’s homecoming.

(Rick and I don’t usually share date night with just anyone, but Chrissy isn’t just anyone!) In fact, I don’t think Chrissy has missed one single significant event in our lives since we moved here from up north in ‘95. (She was one of the first neighbors we met and, we’ve been “hanging out” ever since. It’s like having a bonus daughter! God is good!

Have YOU noticed how God always surprises you with blessings right when you need them? Do you have a “Chrissy” in your world, someone sent by God to just “hang out” with you as you go through “your stuff?”

We mustn’t take people like Chrissy for granted. They are precious gems and need to be treated with care. Yesterday, I found out Chrissy’s favorite restaurant is El Compadre at exit #49. I’ll be visiting there to get her a gift certificate on payday. I want her to know how much I appreciated her presence in my world. “Et vous???”