Yesterday, in all the discussing, planning, and dealing with making an offer on a house, I didn't have the chance to write a post about my friend Dena who is celebrating a birthday. Now, I would be a horrible friend if I didn't call and sing, text and FB celebrate my friend, so I did do those things. But this year as it has been my practice to do sometimes, I write a little post elaborating on what makes them so special to me and so many others. So sorry this is a day late but not a dollar short.
In the grand scheme of life most people including us would not have put the two of us together as friends but God knew. I remember the first time I met her was at a Sunday School retreat and we briefly talked by the Parrot Ice Machine. Then in SS our teacher was doing a series on mission statements or purpose or something like that. To me it didn't mean very much to give this any thought at all and most of the people who got up and talked about their mission statement didn't even register on my consciousness, but I do remember Dena talking about her mission statement. She was earnest and passionate about what she had learned through the discipline. Other than someone else talking about earth, wind and fire which to me only registered as a music group (that was not their point), hers is the only one that I remembered although I didn't remember her name. Fast forward a couple of years and I was invited to go with a group from Sunday School that had August birthdays. I only came for dessert, but I am so glad I did because it was a start of a beautiful friendship.
We have been friends for twelve years now and I have learned quite a bit from her. She is a kind and generous friend. She is a good laughter although many a restaurant has probably spent extra time cleaning off the makeup stains on their napkins from her tears. After Roy, she is the next person I love to travel with. We road trip well together. I think we bonded on our first trip together when we both realized our idea of roughing it is a slow bellboy. She is a loving and giving daughter. Dena is a good friend. She is also about one of the best Sunday School teachers out there. She sacrifices a lot of what could be leisure time for her working on her lessons for Sunday morning.
Dena is a good celebrator. She makes birthdays memorable and special. She is good at celebrating the ordinary of daily life with a quick dinner someplace or a card...gift cards are her specialty. She is a good neighbor. Many years our condos were about ten minutes apart and then Roy and I moved to Rancho De Five. Thankfully, Dena felt the "call" to Rancho life and now she is a neighbor even closer than in Houston. Guess when you get right down to it, Dena is good people.
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