F: Friendship #AtoZBlogging

Friendship is a beautiful, wonderful thing. I've been blessed with a wonderful friend who deserves her own shout out in this space today!

Julie is the kind of friend who I can call in the middle of the night while vomiting in the bathroom from kidney stone pain. I know because I have. She drove to my house, picked me up and took me to the ER so Ken could stay home with the sleeping kids.

She's the kind of friend who will come over with lunch in between her kid's soccer practice and choir rehearsal to dress down my kids who had been giving me an overwhelmingly hard time. And my kids listen to her and respect her because they know she also loves them.

There's give and take to the relationship to be sure. She knows she can drop her kids off at my house at 7 on a Saturday morning so she can go to urgent care. Her kids know their way around my house and walk in like they own the place. They thrown coats on the bed, shoes in the corner and drag out the dress up just like it's their own house.

My kids once asked me if L and D were their cousins. "In every way but by blood." is what I told them. I've claimed her as "the sister God forgot to give me."

Julie and I first met doing Youth Ministry at our church. I was a young, married, mother, and she was a college student, but we hit it off anyway and enjoyed getting to know one another. She is Henry's godmother and Frances and I were both in her wedding.

My mom has frequently picked up "two of something" because she thought I might like to "give one to Julie." When we attend her kids' birthday parties, her parents greet my like a daughter (and vice versa at my kids' parties).

Finally, I love Julie because she keeps me accountable. She tells me when I'm acting like a b**** (though she wouldn't say that word). She steers me towards the right decision when the easy decision is more attractive. She checks on me when I'm feeling down and she assigns me chores when I'm being lazy. She actually showed up at my house one afternoon to make sure I was doing the chores I claimed to be doing!! Did I mention she lives 30 minutes away!?!?!

I don't know what I'd do with Julie in my life. I hope each of you have a Julie too!