Happiness

There is just something wonderful and comforting about reconnecting with an old friend. Such was the case with me this weekend with my dear Kristina. While I was preaching at a conference near Knoxville, TN, she drove over to hang out (and hear me preach for the first time). Her humor saved me from the overly serious nature of the meeting-- a big gift indeed.

She is as real as they come.

When we first met our freshman years at Samford University, Kristina would tell you it took me a time to warm up to her spunkiness (which was my loss of course). However, when we became suitmates my junior year and shared an apartment senior year, the fun times began. Since then, we've been through a lot together... deaths of beloved family members, new significant others, and lots of travel. Over the past five years, we have vacationed with each other including major trips to New York City, Mexico and Italy. When we travel, everyone thinks we are sisters (Even though we are the same age, I always ask people which one of us is younger... and they usually choose me, go figure).Then, I was the maid of honor at her wedding last May. My dad did the ceremony. And, our families have mutually adopted one another as their "other daughter."

Yet, even as life has gotten all the more complicated for both of us in the past year-- Kristina has gotten married and started her own consulting business; I have worked hard to finish grad school and figure out what I'm doing with my life-- we have still found a way to connect.But, while phone calls are easy, face to face visits are much harder as we live states a way from one another.

So, this is why last Saturday was so special. Kristina stopped our conversation at one point to say, "Isn't it wonderful how hanging out it is as if no time has passed?" And I agreed. It is grand indeed. Happiness, in fact.