Life Lesson #215 ~ With a Few Good Friends and a Sister or Two

“That’s the story of you and me, the way we’ve always been and we’ll always be friends until the end. “ ~ Piglet

I was very little when my mama first introduced me to Pooh Bear. She read all the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh to me as a child somewhere between 1977 and 78. I in turn read them to my own boys some 25 years later. In fact I felt such a strong attachment to Pooh Bear both the boys nurseries softly resembled the 100 Acre Wood. I’m sure my love and fondness for Winnie the Pooh came from my childhood memories. I remember listening to my mama’s sweet voice bringing the world of Christopher Robin to life every night that year. She began reading ‘The House at Pooh Corner’ by A.A. Milne to me soon after we’d seen Disney’s animated feature-length film, ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ in the spring of 1977 on Post. This silly, Buddy Bear with his  'chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff' as the Chieftains brilliantly describe and his entourage taught me so much about friendship as a child. Tigger, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga, Roo, Gopher and Eeyore taught me time and time again as a child, “A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” And this Silly Old Bear was right too. As I became a mama myself I wanted to pass this same lesson on to my own children along with a bit of advice my own mama used to whisper into my ears…”Only make room for those folks who bring out the best in you Christie.” Truthfully, that’s what these lovable, if not unusual and very childlike characters brought to life within me.

Today my circle is small. I like it this way honestly. I’m not as worried about quantity. Life's too short to be wrapped up in numbers or bragging rights. I’m truthfully more concerned with the quality of my time, and that includes those I call my friends. I’ve heard it said before, “Be polite to all, but intimate with few.” And this is really the story of my life. I’ve kept my inner circle mostly pocket size. Kinda like our old friend Piglet I suppose. I think Pooh says it best. “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” I know in my own life from the time I was small till this very day it’s always the small moments I remember most. Whether it was being tucked into bed growing up or gathering around our table for family dinners today to Saturday afternoons on the phone with my sisters. Each small moment is captured, stamped into my memory. No one has to say it, I know these women I’ve called my sister's for over 20 years aren’t related to me by blood. I’m an only child. I’ve never had a biological brother nor a sister. Still these women within my circle have become family and the sisters I’ve chosen for myself. No, our blood isn't the same. We do not share DNA, but our hearts are one and cut from the same cloth. I don't believe for one moment God forgot to give me a sister. I simply believe He was working all along at guiding our lives toward one another.  I just had to wait on His timing, that's all. The truth is God has blessed me with a very close, mostly small and extremely tight circle. If I was to count the women in my life who've become family over the last two decades those numbers wouldn't draw your attention really. Some share a love of hockey while others can talk Disney with me all day long and not get bored. A few share a love of our Irish and Scottish culture with me. We love going to the pub to listen to traditional music and kicking up our feet. I'm blessed to have a close bond with several family members born of the same DNA and ancestry as I am as well. And while our beliefs and faith may differ we're not divided. I'm even blessed to teach along side one of these amazing women. But however they came into my life, God sent them. And no matter where life takes us the fabric and tapestry of our lives will forever be stitched and woven together. There aren't enough drops in the ocean that could separate us. I find myself thanking God for each of these women He's placed in my life. I love how beautifully and yet simply A.A. Milne gives us a glimpse into Pooh Bears relationship with Piglet. "I wonder what Piglet is doing? I wish I were there doing it too." I suppose this is the definition of real friendship. And for those of us who are blessed there comes a time when real, genuine, authentic, true and honest to God friendships become more, when we cease being simply friends and become sisters instead. These women I call my sisters weren't raised beside me. We didn’t share clothes or secrets. We didn't sit at the same dinner table. We've lived completely different lives. Our childhoods were conflicting in many ways. We have been molded into completely distinct, separate and individual women. We shouldn't really look alike but somehow a few of us do. And though they all call my mama, ‘mom’, they’ve each come from multiple and very diverse backgrounds. My childhood was indeed spent as an only child. This can't be changed; and truthfully, I don't think I would want my story to be any different. This is the thing, I'm who I am today because of God's intervention. I've found contentment in my circumstances. I've grown in spite of the difficulties. I'm a writer and a dreamer simply because I've lived my very own distinct and individual journey. And after all these years God's rewarded me with a sister. The fact is, being an only child is no longer my reality.  See I was never really alone. God was beside me, leading and pressing me on. Now as a 44 year old woman I’m blessed to call these women my family. They “remind me by their very steadfastness that truth, beauty and goodness exist in the world; and that, no matter what, there are and always will be people loving people through thick and thin.“ (unknown) The women hold a place in my heart like none other. They’re the kind of friends who hold more than a mutual affection. Instead we share a heritage and a legacy really of unconditional love. This is what makes each one my family.

Now thinking about my sisters, two in particular, I have to say this. I could not do life without them. I feel the same as our dear Pooh Bear did for Piglet. “A day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day.” And looking back on our recent adventure I’m certain our lives were meant to collide. It wasn’t chance that brought Natalie into my mom’s life and ultimately into mine, Nor was it coincidence Natalie introduced me to Shawna all those years ago. God had a hand in it. He orchestrated and devised our friendship with purpose under divine direction. I often reflect on Carly Simon’s lyrics from Piglet’s Big Movie when my sisters come to mind. “With a few good friends and a stick or two a house is built at a corner called Pooh. With a friend and a stick or three or four a house is built where it wasn’t before.” And this simple song speaks the truth of our friendship. Year after year, struggle upon struggle and one memory following the other we’ve become family, standing up and beside one another. We’ve weathered job loss, breast cancer and the death of parents together. We’ve supported each other's dreams and encouraged change along the way. We've spent weekends playing cards, grilling out back, raising our glasses and running the grounds of the Texas Renfest year after year. Together we’ve watched all of our children graduate high school. We‘ve danced at weddings and celebrated the birth of grandchildren side by side. We're friends for life. There is no doubt about this. The years may be steadily growing, but when we’re together age and time just seem to fall away. We can be silly and goofy together just as much as we can be serious and determined in tackling any problem facing us together. When I say to my sisters, “I love you.” I am saying this: “I love you more than the bad days ahead of us. I love you more than any fight we will ever have. I love you more than the distance between us. I love you more than any obstacle that could try and come between us." (Unknown)  What I know is this. We’ll be friends forever more. And today as I sit here writing I'm reminded while reminiscing and recalling a conversation between Pooh and Piglet...one which reminds me of just how blessed I am to call these friends my sisters. “We’ll be friends forever won’t we, Pooh?” asked Piglet. “Even longer.” Pooh answered. And so we will.

Now let me say this. Most of us understand this concept fairly well. I think anyway. Life is meant for adventure, is it not? I think maybe adventures with good friends is even better, right? Personally I love adventure. From the time I was a little  girl I’ve spent countless days chasing risk and exciting escapades. I was always setting off in search of adventure be it in a book or my backyard as a child. My daddy was always on time for high tea or a light saber duel. My mama never failed to attend my impromptu concerts where I imagined myself on the big stage. Sure that stage was my bed, but imagination is key here. And yes my microphone was an old used up deodorant Tickle bottle. Again I was encouraged to chase my dreams from the moment I drew my first breath. I grew up in a world largely filled by my rather large and free spirited imagination. I’m a dreamer through and through. So why would my world change any as an adult? The thing about growing up the way I did with one foot in the 100 acre wood and the other in a world of my own is I learned memories are forever. They follow you from one adventure into another. I’ve carried this verse with me from A.A. Milne as long as I can remember. It sums up my life in a nutshell, “We didn’t realize we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun.” And anyone catching a glimpse of my life today would find these word to still be true. All my adventures, in so many different forms haven't changed much in my life since I was 8 years old back in 1981. How so? Well, I’m still an explorer looking for adventure be it teaching, writing, fishing, hiking, riding roller coasters, reading comic books, cosplaying and of course visiting my happy place...Disney World. All of these things keep my adventurous spirit alive and replenished. And of course I love to drag those I love along for the journey. So when the opportunity presented itself to go on our own one of a kind big adventure with my sisters last weekend  you can bet I jumped on it. Pooh Bear would have been proud of me if he would’ve shown up as we boarded our flight to Orlando in our matching monogrammed purple t-shirts. I don’t know about Natalie or Shawna but I heard these words from the 100 Acre Wood clearly in my ear…”As soon as I saw you I knew an adventure was about to happen.” And oh boy was it, let me tell you!

Our adventure was a gift. That's for sure. One I am grateful to the love of my life for working to make happen. We three, sisters not of blood but of the heart made so many amazing memories together. Ones which will last a lifetime. I’ve never thought much of running the Disney Parks with a sister, I mean I never had one so why would I? But after this trip I can’t imagine not having one. We had so much fun. I honestly can’t really begin to offer one single word that would bring justice or rightly explain our escapades together. Now of course we wore matching Mickey ears. We bought matching bags. We put together our Disneybounding outfits together perfectly harmonizing as Belle. Elsa and Anna. We even wore matching black t-shirts that shouted 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' tucked inside a Mickey shaped Texas. Yes the girls from Texas represented! And at the end of the day, tired as all get out we still spent hours laughing ourselves silly just before bed. Before this trip I couldn't have imagined our bonds could be any closer than they already were, but I was wrong. Today we are closer than ever before. I think Winnie the Pooh or should I say A.A. Milne was right. “Maybe it’s true, maybe we don’t know what we have until we’ve lost it. But, maybe it’s also true that we don’t know what we’re missing until we find it.” That’s exactly how I see my friendship and this sisterhood I share with Natalie and Shawna. In the end it’s not about where we came from, who we called mom or dad or who’s prettier, smarter or even wealthier. It’s about the beauty found within the heart and soul. I was given a glimpse into both of these amazing women's lives and personalities like never before. I saw who they were underneath the mask we all wear facing the daily grind. It was unmistakably more evident than ever before why God had merged and fused our lives together during those four precious days. And as for the beauty I've seen inside their hearts; well, those are the things I will remember most. Quoting Pooh Bear from Piglet’s Big Movie, “You know, if we didn’t stick together, we would be very lost indeed.“ This has never more evident than our final morning. It was Monday and we had a full day planned. But my diabetes had other plans, that’s for sure. If you don’t know by now I’m a type 1 diabetic. I’ve been so for almost 37 years. I was diagnosed in 1981 at the age of eight. To say my life has been a struggle is an understatement. My diabetes was the first of many medical difficulties. Stroke, autoimmune issues, lymphedema, R.A., DVT and breast cancer are just a few I can name. Yet all these years later my diabetes is the one thing I’m still  affected by on a day to day basis. Honestly even though most of my friends know, they rarely see into my world of medical conditions. I've learned to hide them well living life as normally as possible. That is of course until one of them grabs me by the tail and starts spinning me in a game of pin the tail on the donkey.

I don't say this lightly. Monday morning brought my life to a near end. And I’m not exaggerating in the least. My thoughts now go to my parents, my hubby and our boys knowing I may have never held them in my arms again. What happened? I'd been battling low blood sugar for days. Nothing horrible mind you, but still significant. I’d checked my sugar before going to sleep. I’d placed a coke beside the bed and made sure I’d eaten enough carbs at dinner. I was tired, and after staying up for one of our final giggle fests I’d fallen asleep around 2 am. I don’t remember much after that. Around 8 in the morning I woke up to paramedics working on me. I had somehow turned my 7 am alarm clock off but I didn't move at all afterwards. Natalie, worried, tried waking me. She found me leaning half off and over the bed. I was unconscious. Nothing was working. I wasn’t responding to anything. At one point I threw a straw with my mouth. Shawna was on the phone with my mom and Natalie with Johnny. This was not the call they wanted. Both were told to call 911. Now, humor never fails to find me and this day was no different. I woke up swinging. I about decked the poor EMS guy in the face. I mean seriously what would you have done if you’d woken up to a strange man in your face in a hotel room? I thought so. Once my confusion was somewhat under control I saw an IV in my arm and blood on the sheets. I was disoriented to say the least. I was also mad at myself for ruining our last day. I knew the only reason for paramedics would have been my levels dropping to what is referred to as a death blood sugar, close if not actually in a diabetic coma. As my blood sugar started coming up I learned my blood sugar was a whopping 25. I had fallen into a hypoglycemic crisis in my sleep. I was in insulin shock. At one point my legs had been kicking all over the place and I had been convulsing. Death was knocking on my door once again trying to pull me into her clutches. By God’s grace she failed. If not for my sweet sisters quick response I know I wouldn’t be here recounting my story today. I would have died. I’m reminded under these circumstances why I’ve clung to scripture my whole life. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 comes to thought as I think of death’s plan for me in those moments. “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you safe from the evil one.” And He was both faithful and my protector in those moments. He knew this day would come, and He knew my sisters would be there to save my life. I can’t honestly put in words how I feel. I’m overcome by emotion, pushing back tears and a lump in my throat as I type. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I'd say we're living testaments of this. God placed these women in my life. It is by His hand we've been grafted together. His purpose and mighty plan has truly strengthened our bonds. And when we least expected it, He anchored the links of our sisterhood even tighter than ever before. Piglet once asked Pooh, “How do you spell love?” And Pooh being the bear he is explained to Piglet. “You don’t spell it - you feel it.”

So this is what I’ve learned in life about friendship so far. It’s always expanding, growing, blooming and advancing. Being part of a sisterhood is more than a hashtag. Believe me it’s so much more than that. Being sisters is a gift, a treasure not everyone finds in this life. Sisters, my sisters, make all the bad days good ones and the good days absolutely unforgettable. A.A. Milne once wrote, “Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.” I’m blessed to have sisters who walk this journey with me, side by side. My sisters... Pthey are my heroes. And “if I live to be 100, I want to be 100 minus 1 day so I never have to live a day without you. “ ~ Winnie the Pooh.  This is really the sentiment of this Life Lesson #215 ~ With a Few Good Friends and a Sister or Two. We're certainly three sisters with three separate and distinct journeys but we call one place home...our hearts. The truth is we’re always better together than apart,  and we always will be. The foundation of this very truth is found in God’s Word. He’s the One who has stitched our hearts and lives together. Not by chance but by His grace. Colossians 3:14 implores us to love unconditionally. “Above all, be loving. This ties everything together perfectly. “And this is exactly what I've found in this sisterhood I share. Sure, “no one may ever be as entertained by us as us.” But I know we’ll be best friends forever and that's all that really matters, right?  After all, Pooh Bear was onto something in the end. “A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.” I'm blessed, truly I am. I’ll love you both forever and always.

“It seems they had always been, and would always be, friends. Time could change much but not that. “ ~ A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh

~ Merida Grace