Grace

I'm really grateful today for my best friend, Joanna. We have been friends for an astonishing twenty years. Last year we moved into a townhouse together, and looking back I'm so glad she invited me to join her and I'm so glad I accepted! At the end of the month I move back home ("back home" - such a relative term) for a few months before I move to Little Rock and I will miss her. A lot.

When we signed the lease last May I didn't realize that God would be moving me again this soon and this far away. I think the last year has been His gift to me and Joanna. I have enjoyed it thoroughly, even more so now that I know I won't see her regularly for at least a year and maybe longer (she absolutely refuses to move to Little Rock with me. Lame!).

Today we took a mini road trip for a friend's baby shower. On the way back home Joanna was engaged in not only driving , but also talking to our mutual friend, Adrienne, on the phone. I quickly got bored (I brought a book to read but lost my highlighter, and so I was rendered ineffective, as we all know I can't read without a highlighter) and so I began to snap pictures with my phone.


Joanna driving and talking. At one point she said "oh man, I'm going eighty!" This morning we were running late and I told her she had to drive as my conscience will not allow me to speed. It will, however, allow Joanna to.


The view from my rear view mirror. We had to go literally to the ends of the earth for this baby shower. Google Maps led us on a wild goose chase in order to find our location. In the end we were careening crazily along this little country road where we almost had a head-on collision with another car. Joanna began to yell and I meekly pointed out that she had been driving in the middle of the road. She told me to shut up.


"Life is a highway! I want to drive it all night long!" I started singing this as Joanna and Adrienne chatted away. I was sad because I wasn't getting the proper attention I deserved. Joanna gave me a vaguely threatening look. I ignored her and started...


SUPER MODEL DOCUMENTARY HOUR! I took a few pictures of Joanna and the road, but mostly of me. No one is surprised.



Finally home! This place has been the scene of so many happy and funny memories which I'm sure my children (and Joanna's children) will enjoy hearing about. "Did I ever tell you about the time Aunt Joanna..."

Oh yes, I'm going to miss my best friend when I move to Arkansas. I've been thinking about grace a lot lately and about how nearly every day I have cause to thank God for the grace that He's shown me by placing Joanna in my life. I told her once that I was going to name one of my little girls after her - Joanna Grace - because that's what I think about every time I think of Joanna: grace. Grace is what she's shown me through the years of our friendship and that's what God has shown me through her - unusual (I think) grace.

So, Joanna, I know you don't read this blog (Joanna: I don't want to read your blog. I live with you! Why would I want to read about what I'm experiencing?!) but one day you may, and I hope you stumble across this post and a) feel bad for how mean you've been to me by mocking this blog, and b) know how much I love you and how profoundly grateful I am for your friendship.