When I close my eyes, I can hear her singing, “Raindrops keep falling on my head” and the giggles which interrupt our singing resonate in my woman’s heart today.  We sang that song one million times to anyone who would listen and for any occasion.

Just as real in my mind are the remembrances of my friend leaning out her front door and calling my name saying I should just run over to her house and play.  She calls my name loud and clear so I know for sure it is her. 

Then, my mind gathers sweet as I imagine the long, blonde pew at the Radcliff Church of Christ and a row full of sweetness and light all sits together passing notes and trying to be quiet during the sermon.  Young Christian sisters whom I to this day hold precious to my heart. 

I grow into a young girl, move to a foreign land (twenty minutes down the road) and make nice with the Catholic girls whom share a love of God and a need for prayer in such a tender way that even today, I can see them kneeling on the kneeling bench and long to sit beside them. 

I grow.  I change.  I draw close to my sweet cousins for whom even today I am ever so grateful.

I move to high school and meet the young girl who will turn out to be a “heart changing” kind of friend.  One with whom nothing is sacred.  No secret too great.  No boy to off-limits to talk about.  A sister-friend who though we lost her too soon still leaves an imprint on my heart which I carry with me every day.  Her name is Andrea Beth Morris.

Other girls…they come into my life and fill my cup to over-flowing. 

And then there are my sisters….some brought to me by brothers and some brought to me by faith…who stand with me in a family big and large and hold my hand and make sweet memories and live this thing called life with a heart for me and mine.  They are precious to my heart.

And, even My facebook is a telling page….names which would be just names except that they are not. ….they are my dear-hearts, women with whom I have shared my life and who, in return, I  have shared theirs.

Each on of them....each one of you, I gather you up in my basket of life's flowers...the sweet scent of your friendship bringing joy to my heart and love within my heart...

For each and every one of you...

I am grateful….

YOU are more than just my sisters…..my comrades…..my prayer warriors……

You are, in fact

My

FRIENDS…..

May God bless and bless each and every one.