True Friends

There are times in your life where you are faced with a moment which shows you who your friends are. Or there are moments when people come through to show you what a good friend they are when you least expect it. I have some true, loyal, wonderful friends who have done just those things for me at different times in my life. And I know I am blessed.

For example, in college a boyfriend broke up with me and I was devastated. I called one of my best friends in hysterics around 11 pm to tell her what happened. She left her house and drove two hours to spend the night with me, even though she had to get up early the next morning to drive back and work. That same night I called another best friend who was at a concert. She woke up at the crack of dawn and drove to my house to be with me, and her and my other friend had a "changing of the guard" so to speak. I knew then how wonderful these friends were to be willing to do that for me... but when I think back to that night now, I know without a doubt I am blessed to have people in my life who love me that much.

I feel as if I could write out examples like this for hours. A friend (who was not a morning person) who woke up very early to ride along to a doctor's appointment I was nervous about in high school. Those friends you can call and tell them what is wrong... or those friends who know something is wrong without even realizing it. Those friends who you just show up at their house and have a complete meltdown... and it's as if you were saving the meltdown for the moment you passed through the door. I have a wonderful, dear friend who would do anything to help anyone (because that's just how he is)... and he has been there to help not just me, but my family, more times than I can count. I know I am blessed.

In Germany I have seen a true friend in my friend Melissa. Who else shows up to spend the day in a German hospital bringing you a supply of magazines and banned food items? Only a friend. Yesterday, I realized what a real, true friend I have in Jimmy. Since I spend the night at Jimmy's house while working, we have definitely gotten close. Josh and Jimmy are close... but we've also traveled together, I've spent a lot of time with his girlfriend, and we spend a lot of time counseling each other. Well, more Jimmy listening to me vent, and me giving him guidance has to how to navigate a long distance relationship. But over time we have gotten close. My medical appointments fell on Jimmy's day off. He was planning to head our direction to spend some time with another friend of his, so I had offered to give him a ride to Spangdahlem on Monday and bring him back on Tuesday since I had to head that direction anyways. He agreed whole-heartedly to the plan.

I showed up at Jimmy's house on Monday not in the best mood about wearing my heart monitor. It wasn't hard for him to figure this out as I told him I was cranky about it. So Jimmy took me out to lunch, and decided my car needed to be washed. He is a car guy... so we spent a few hours cleaning and detailing my car. Not exactly how I had planned to spend my afternoon, but I was surprised to find I was in a better mood when we were done. Jimmy more than entertained me on our ride up Spangdahlem, and I was grateful for the company. He spent the evening with his friend, and came over to our house in the morning yesterday. We were almost to Ramstein, and I was looking at the clock thinking to myself that I would be cutting it close to having enough time to drop him off and then get to the hospital. As I was thinking this, Jimmy said, "Why don't I come along to the hospital with you? I don't even know where it is... and I should probably figure that out." After me asking him multiple times if he was sure he wanted to tag along, and him assuring me that he did, we continued onto the hospital without the detour to his house. I got checked in to my appointment, and then sat there thinking that even though I've all of this done a million times, I was a bit nervous about it. Even though I'm an adult and I've gone to doctors appointments by myself many times, a part of me still wished my parents were there. As my stomach was starting to do nervous flip flops, Jimmy leaned over and said, "You want me to come back with you? Is that okay?" As if he knew I didn't want to be alone. I asked him, multiple times again, if he was sure he wanted to come along, which he assured me he did. So Jimmy came back with me for my stress test. My test went fine, nothing remarkable about it. I just realized what a dear, wonderful friend I have in Jimmy. A true friend who reviled himself just when I needed it.