Surprise

This past weekend I went with some girlfriends down to LA to shop for Christmas. Because we have very limited shopping around here it was fun to spend a couple of days just walking around shops and malls with eyes wide and a look of awe on our faces. We were also able to meet up with our wonderful friend Julie who moved away a few years ago. The husbands stayed with the kids and for once everything went very smoothly (no one was sick etc). I had a wonderful time enjoying new restaurants and scenery but mostly I enjoyed my friends. We had a very nice surprise on the way home. We were stuck in traffic for hours and to make the time go faster my dear friend Joy pulled out a manuscript she had been working on. It was called "A year in the life of the Village". You see we call our little group "the village" for many reasons - you will have to read the book to find out more. We laughed and cried as she recalled the events of this past year. I was not the only one with struggles this year - we were all tested - our friendships and our faith were tested. Fortunately we have all become stronger in both. Joy is such a gifted writer and to hear things from her perspective was a wonderful window into her world. She changed all of our names so it almost sounded like we were hearing a story about other people. I can't wait for her to finish it. I know our lives will always be connected. I have a feeling we may not all live near each other forever but the thread that binds us is strong and will hold true.