A Good Friend

It seems like lately there have been a lot of posts going around and e-mails/messages coming to (and from) me on the topic of friends. Friends who have been there through thick and thin (including the horrific tragedy of losing a child), friends who have disappeared off the face of the Earth after times get rough (times like when you lose a child) what makes a good friend vs a sucky friend, and just the general change in some friendships after the loss of a child.

Although I could go on about the topic of friends vs "friends" for a very long time (trust me I'll talk about it another day because I have lots to say) today I want to stray away from my normal baby loss discussion and talk just about friendship- good friendships. I guess to be more specific I want to talk about one of mom's best friends- a truly good friend.

Last night I got a call from my sister saying that Pat, my mom's long time friend, had passed away. My heart stopped for a second and I felt my breath slip away. I could not believe what I was hearing. How in the world was this possible? And then I stopped myself. Come on....I know how possible terrible tragedies are. Clearly.

Pat has been my mother's friend since before I can even remember. She's always been around. She is my baby sister's Godmother and has been to everything my sister and I have ever done- graduations, my wedding, baby showers, with my mom and I to buy my first car, my sister's sporting events, my debutante ball (yes people- I'm a Southern girl and I was a debutante :) Maybe I'll post a pic one day- ha!). Any emergency she could be counted on to help. Pretty much everything our family did Pat was there. I even remember the whole remodel on her house back when I was a teenager. When Nygel and I got married she let ALOT of my family stay in that house which was a life saver for us!

But she wasn't just there for my mom, me, and my sister. She loved my whole family. This lady checked on my grandmother more than some of my cousins do. When I called my granny last night to tell her what happened, she told me she had talked to Pat just 2 weeks ago. And that Pat told her how much fun her granddaughter was and how she was running to keep up with her. That breaks my heart......

Pat was a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a daughter, and a friend. Such a wonderful woman.

More than anything she was amazing friend- a best friend- to my mother. When I talked to my mom early this morning to see how she as doing she told me something I already knew. "Pat was more than a friend- she was family. She was like a sister to me."

I know Mummy and I am so very sorry she's gone........

In life we are blessed if we are able to find a friend that will be there for us no matter what. When things are good and when they are tragic- that friend is there. When you're laughing so hard your stomach hurts and when you are crying so hard you can't pick yourself up off the bathroom floor- that friend is still there. And it's ok because they pick you up off the floor and bring you food and force you to watch reality tv until you can't help but crack a smile. They are a friend.....a good friend.

I am so thankful that God blessed my mother with Pat. I am so happy that for almost all of her adult life she had someone she could trust and who loved her so much. I am so very happy she had such a good friend.

Thank you Pat for all you have been to our family. Thank you for loving my mother and loving us because of the fact that you loved her so much. I pray that my little Aiden gives you a stunning smile and a huge hug when you see him in Heaven. Give him a kiss from his mama and know I'm sending one to you too......xoxo