BFF

Kelly was one of my first friends in Newberg.  Ten years ago we moved from the Chicago area and rented a house – sight unseen – in Newberg.  We were hard to miss with four little and loud kids, ranging in age from 2 to 7 years – and not a friend in sight.  Kelly lived down the street with her two boys, who were the same ages as my oldest and youngest.  We all hit off and became overnight friends.  This feels ironic given the fact that Kelly and I couldn’t be more opposite.  At the time, I was an on-edge, always stressed out, frazzled mom… the kind that chased their kids down the street in my pajamas on school mornings shoving stuff in their backpack, yelling at the neighbors to please tell the bus driver to wait, and hollering at my kids to “RUN FAST!”  I was an expert Casserole Maker and Cookie Baker, but had no idea how to cook with fresh and healthy foods. Our life was a chaotic blur of love and goodness, naughtiness, laughter, and constant activity.

Kelly is quiet. Calm. Gentle.  Even when she’s frazzled, you can hardly tell.  She rarely raises her voice, has the patience of a saint, and is a genius in the kitchen. Kelly prefers a slow and methodical approach to life and her kids did not throw loud tantrums for the entire neighborhood to hear.  We couldn’t have been an odder couple in the friendship department, but God knew we needed each other.

Kelly showed me how to cook using recipes that didn’t call for cream of chicken soup and eight pounds of cheese.  We watched each others children, talked about our hopes, dreams, God, life, love, you name it… Our families started sharing a weekly meal together, a tradition that continued for years.  I watched Kelly respond gently to her kids when they were naughty, and I started mimicking a calmer, quieter response.  Kelly taught me how to slow down and savor a meal, to spend an afternoon without an agenda and not feel guilty about it. Kelly and I have grown up together as mothers and friends, learning from each other and letting God smooth out our imperfections. Our children bonded at a deep level as well.  They have grown up together and are more like brothers than friends.

My family moved out of that rental down the street from Kelly five months after we moved in, but our friendship has stood the test of time.  We have weathered big life changes together: Kelly getting married, me starting a business, my husband going back to school to get his doctorate, raising our kids…  Life tries to keep us apart, but we have been intentional about making sure we remain a constant in each others lives.  Her friendship is such treasured gift.  It was so fun for me to take family photos for Kelly, her husband and their sons, even though they all hate getting their pictures taken.  Thank you Kelly for being such a constant in my life and being one of my BFF’s.  I love you.

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