An Old Friend Can Save You from a Tidal Wave

  Back in January I was feeling overwhelmed. I wrote "So for right now this girl is going to find a rock ledge to hide under and wait for the storm to pass; letting the waves wash away the debris of gathered negative thoughts and when the sun breaks and the ocean glows with its warmth; this girl's going sunbathing" (Link for Blog)

    A few days later I would find out I was pregnant and that explained a lot of my ups and downs I was feeling. But in between writing my blog and reading a positive pregnancy test, a dear friend from my childhood sent me a letter.
    With excitement, I tore open the letter from Mrs. Tracy. She was my second grade teacher and is still my friend. And even though we're 1100 miles apart and there is a 49 year difference between us, we can still connect. And somehow, because friendship is just that powerful, she knew exactly what I needed that week.
  The letter was wonderful; sharing news of her family and life and her passion, even in her eighties, of trying to save the world. She also sent old photos from so long ago. I was shocked to see myself, standing on the Oregon beach, surrounded by my family. The sky is slightly overcast and you can see the edge of the waves coming in. The smiles are huge and the joy can be felt just by looking at the photo.
  The other photo is a familiar place, Tolovana Park. I can feel the wind and smell the sea salt just by looking at this glance into my childhood.
  When I was feeling swept away by life, Mrs. Tracy sent me something precious.

   I don't usually share really personal photos on my blog, especially from my childhood but I just felt like I needed to...
     Because it's the people in our life that define us, that support us, that hold us up when we feel threatened by the waves of life. 

    So here is the first photo- Tolovana Park.

And the second photo. I should almost make you guess what goofy kid I am...but I won't. I'm the one on the far right. So goofy with my tucked in shirt and thick bangs. But I absolutely loved those pants and my watch. And obviously the smile on my face says a lot.

So Thanks Mrs. Tracy for being there for me, even if you don't know just how timely your letter and photos are. And even if I can't properly explain just how powerful a letter and a few photos from a trip to the beach can be. But maybe since we've been friends for so long...you do understand.
   And that's why a good friend is something precious...beyond the simple words on a blog.