Reflections of....Part 3

Well, as part of my resolution that I made in the back pew of a funeral today, I need to be better about not taking anyone for granted and letting people know they are loved and appreciated. So, today's 'tributes' are to Janis, Beth & Colleen.

To Janis - I don't know if I ever truly thanked you properly for all of your help, support and friendship when I first moved to Toledo after Paul left and I had to create a whole new life for myself. After only knowing you for a couple months, you took me by the hand and we went house/apartment hunting in the middle of January and were climbing through snowbanks in the freezing cold! You also helped me find a lawyer, a laundromat (next to the XXX porn store, by the way!) and anything else I needed. You watched Maggie whenever I needed to go out of town, invited me out to lunch and introduced me to CedarCreek Church because you knew exactly what I was looking for and wanted to help. Those are just some of the ways you helped me and were a friend to me. I cannot thank you enough for all you did for me during the darkest time in my life. I know I can't repay you for all of the ways you have helped, inspired and encouraged me, but I do want to make sure you know how much I appreciate all of it. Miss you and love you Janis! Here's a pic of a spunky lady - maybe you'll be this cool when you're older!

To Beth - Oh man, where I do begin...I have never met someone like you, Beth. You are one of the most genuine people I have ever met. You are caring, kind, giving, cheerful, smart, talented, generous, beautiful and honest. I am so honored to have met you. I miss you terribly down here in Texas and our long discussions and shoe shopping extravaganzas (wait - why was I usually the only one buying the shoes?!). You have given me sooo much simply by you being you and showing me what contentment, joy, boldness, generosity and transparency really look like. You have comforted me when I was at the bottom of a very deep and dark pit, and you have called me out on things when I was way off base on my views of life. I know that I can always count on you to have Godly, sound advice that comes only from a good place. What is so special about you is that you are REAL - you have just enough optimism to think there is still good in the world and just enough skepticism to make you grounded and genuine. Phil and Cookie really did do a great job bringing such a special person into this world and I'm lucky and honored to call you my friend.
To Colleen, my dearest Dandar - Wow, I just can't imagine what the last four years would've been like had I not met you. It was such a weird thing that you started at SeaGate just 7 days after Paul left. I was a mess, and I now know that God sent an angel to help me and that angel was you. You made me laugh every single day at work and you made each day easier when I didn't think I could get through another one on my own. We even laughed about me crying in the usher closet! You have such a spirit about you - the room lights up when you enter it. Your energy is infectious and you have one of the most caring, generous hearts. You are always willing to help, encourage, hug or do anything you can to make someone else feel better. You think of other people's feelings before your own and you make people feel instantly comfortable when they meet you. We have been through some weird and painful stuff together, as well as had some fabulously fun times....but quite honestly, I don't think that there was a single thing we talked about that we didn't laugh at! I still keep our Folder of Fun and take items out and laugh about them on a regular basis - what a blast we had! My favorite thing is hearing you laugh - not just laugh, but LAUGH. Your super deep laugh that doesn't stop - it's priceless and I always laughed at you laughing, even though sometimes I didn't even understand what you were laughing about (Erin-Go-Drop-A-Bratwurst-On-The Floor)! Experts say that smiling and laughing adds years onto your life - well I think I'm going to live until I'm about 900 years old (yes, 900 - Extreme Lauri still exists!) because you have brought that much joy to my life. I miss you tons and I love you to pieces, Pollyanna Dindor!