A Sad Week

Last week was full of good-byes for me. First my brother, then I had to say good-bye to my dear friend Maile. I met Maile two years ago when we had just started attending First Baptist and she and Brad had just moved to Dothan. We had an instant connection. It was a little eerie how well we hit if off. We are so similar. Sometimes I swear we are sharing a brain. However, we are just different enough to keep things interesting.

So Maile's husband Brad took a job in Pensecola as a youth minister at his home church. Brad is going to be a wonderful youth minister and this is an amazing opportunity for them. I'm happy for them, sad for me. I've known they were moving for probably close to two months now but did that make it any easier to say good-bye? No way! We've been trying to spend as much time together as possible these last couple weeks before she left me for good and we have had the best time. Last week we went for pedicures and dinner and it was such a fun and relaxing night. Then Friday night we went to the movies to see Sex and the City (which by the way was fabulous, minus the nudity). How appropriate that we see a movie about such amazing friendship and then have to say good-bye right after. That night was our final good-bye. Shay has been telling me for weeks, "You know you are going to have to say good-bye to Maile eventually, right?" I apparently had been putting it off.

We shared some tears, I dropped her off and cried all the way home, because I'm just that lame, believe me I know. It's not like I'm never going to see her again, and I'm sure we will still talk every other day....we had better. I have just become so attached to her in these last two years and have come to depend on her a lot! I feel like I call her for every little thing and I feel like I can tell her every little thing. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to function without her here. Maile has been the biggest blessing. I cannot even put into words how much she means to me. Our friendship is just so unique and special. I needed that relationship. The Lord knew what He was doing when He put Maile Gowing in my life and I couldn't be anymore thankful for her. She has become one of my very best friends. I adore her and I know we will be friends always. We've shared everything these last two years have brought, including Mary Selwyn's birth and I'm excited to share the things the rest of our years have in store. I will travel anywhere in the world to be at the birth of her first child....I'm not missing that!!

To sum up last week, it was very sad and emotional for me. I'm not good at good-byes or letting go.....I think it stinks!! However, last week made me very aware of the blessings that my family and friends bring me. One of the biggest ways that the Lord reaches me is through my relationships with others. That is part of the reason I love Dothan so much is because He has surrounded me with the love and friendships that I need to be able to grow. I'm not sure if that makes any sense at all but it does to me somehow. I've said time and time again, I need my friends and have a collection of the most fabulous friends in the world. I try to never take the gift that they are for granted. I'm thankful I have Maile to add to that collection. Starting this new week without her and my brother hasn't been easy but I'm getting there....Surely I'll get used to it soon.