This month a friend in Houston is moving to be closer to family and the loss of her presence in Houston will be Corsicana's gain. She is having a going away lunch this weekend and tears certainly will be shed in Life Bible Study on Sunday morning. It's harder to cry at Los Cucos cause the food is so good. Darlene has served the Dayspring Class and the Lord faithfully as assistant director. Assistant director is a catch all position for so many needed responsibilities and those "on the fly" decisions that occur here and there. Darlene certainly served above and beyond the pay grade.
Seems like I have known Darlene forever but I first noticed her work ethic in the craft room where our class met. The dynamics of the room were changing from sitting in chairs to sitting in chairs at tables. You had table moms and the groups were changed every so often as to meet ladies in the class. Peggy and I were not full supporters in the beginning. So being the mature people we are, we rebelled and sat at a table in the back meant for class check in. We were fulfilling the intent but not actually doing what class leadership wanted. We figured that Darlene, who as the assistant director, had to be the enforcer and she didn't like us. Really, how could we think that when we weren't cooperating. Peggy told her years after the whole table thing that we thought she didn't like us. She assured Peggy that she did and found us funny. It was our attitude and actions. We complied but we never separated ourselves like we were supposed to.
Darlene made lifelong friends. Just ask Barbara, Nell, Patsy, Lou and a slew of others. Darlene loves her family and they love her right back. In 2016 when I broke my hip on the way back home from Houston at The Cracker Barrel in Lafayette LA, she made sure that when I left Houston this time that I went back on a better note than how the original 2015 leaving went. The class gave me a gift card to Cracker Barrel and a Psalm verse coloring book. In fact the gift card from Dayspring was more than what Cracker Barrel sent, a lot more. Before leaving class that Sunday Darlene came up to me and said, I wanted to appease the feelings from the last goodbye in the class. Blessed are the peace makers.
One year, Darlene and Patsy came up here for a Thanksgiving vacation. They stayed at The Inn on the Biltmore Estate and I got to take them around the area. We had lunch at The Moose Cafe and we drove around Lake Lure and Bat Cave. We also came back to the house for a quick minute. Such a fun day.
Several years ago while shopping at Robin Blu, I miss that store, I found a book on friendship and all the attributes of good friends, both personally and on a big scale, reminded me of Darlene. Darlene goes about life in a quiet mode but that quiet mode of life is treasured by her family and friends. Her behind the scenes style might get passed over by some...but many know and appreciate those things she coordinates and makes happen.
Each year here that I have planted sunflowers, I had Darlene in mind. Like the sunflowers she follows the Son. Now in some of the flowerbeds, I don't even have to plant seeds, the sunflowers grow and that too is so much like Darlene. She is leaving a flowerbed of friends but soon enough in her new home, she'll plant those sunflower seeds and soon her love, devotion of friendship will have those new sunflower Darlene moments. They'll happen because of her friendship.
As someone who moved away from a strong home base of friendship let me share with you Darlene, at first it is difficult but in enough time because our times are in His hands, you'll have a greater love and appreciation for those friends back in Houston. You'll want to introduce the make new friends but keep the old friends to each other. That experience is such a joy.
Happy Trials, Darlene! Until we meet again. Thank you for your friendship and patience with me.
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