My Best Friend - Sister of My Heart

I layed in bed for about an hour before I decided to give up for a bit and come to J-land!  It is almost time for my monthly infusion and I am trying to lower my daily low prednisone dose even lower, sooooo my hands are sore. 

Tonight, my pinky is throbbing like it is doing a cha cha!  Amazing how one little finger can hurt so much.  The rest of my hands are just achey-ish.  Is that a word?  I had to take one of the 'big gun' meds and while I wait for relief, I will write.

I don't write often about my best friend, the sister of my heart, although, I truly owe this journal to her.  This conglomeration of ponderings and ramblings is usually what she has been subjected to over the years, and in person, the poor thing!

K and I went to high school together, but she was two years ahead of me, and we did not get to be friends then.  It was through a mutual friend at my work, in the summer after I graduated in 1983, that brought us together.

Like two peas in a pod, within a couple of months we were working TWO jobs together, yes, often at the same hours, and she was practically living at my house.  That was quickly rectified when her mom remarried and moved and shortly therafter, she WAS living at my house! 

K's dad was out of the picture, at least that is the short version and her mom's path was not working with hers.  My parents loved K by this time, she was always with me and staying over most weekend nights anyhow, so it was a no-brainer.  All my mom said was, 'You are the one sharing your room and your space - fine with us!'  We had all manner and type of relatives living in my house over the years, my parents were always seen as the stable helpers, so another stray, so to speak, was hardly a thought to them!

In fact, at one point for year, it was three of us in what used to be 'my room'!  My cousin needed a place to live, she had just graduated college after working full time to put herself through it, landed a job near us, andwas getting married in a year.  The more the merrier!  LOL

Back to K, it was like a continual slumber party in a lot of ways!  From 1984 until I met my hubby in 1990, we spent more time together than with anyone else!  Working together, partying together, dating together and vacationing together.  Oh, the stories, nay, the legends I could share, but won't because my son and mother read my journal!  LOL

Even after I married, K was always a part of my life.  She still was putting herself through college and was living at my house with my parents.  They were thrilled to have their 'adoptive daughter' there with them.  And, thrilled to have a new son in law, too.  Hubby and I were there 2x a week for dinner and on Sunday's.  We lived 3 towns away, and about 7 minutes door to door. 

The day I suspected I was pregnant, about 2 weeks after getting back from my honeymoon and married just a month, it was K that I called and told, and asked to skip work.  I ran over to my parents house, having called into work myself that day, with the test.  She looked first, I couldn't, and she got to see that, in fact, I was pregnant before I did! 

K is my eldest's Godmother and the best auntie to all three of my kids.  I should also mention now that my hubby and K are closer to each other than either is to their own siblings.  My dear hubby loves her so much and can be fiercely protective of her... if she only knew how much!!! 

K moved out of my parents just after I had Fuzzy in 1995, but only three houses over the border into the next town.  LOL 

K was a huge part of our every day life.  She was my constant companion when my hubby wasn't, and even when he was!  She was a huge help with each and every child and each and every emergency, I cannot give her enough thanks or credit for all the things she did over those years!  Most of all, she helped me keep my sanity, and that probably seemed like a full time job at times!  

K met her hubby and began to date him when I had just became pregnant with Pumpkin, my youngest.  She was still a huge part of our lives, and even after their marriage, for a year she was still just five minutes away, and we were always together.  And, my mom had another son-in-law to spoil!  LOL

Then, K and her hubby moved.  They aren't far, just about 35-40 minutes, but, far enough that our visits were whittled down considerably.  At first, we saw each other 3-4 times a month, and we made up for it with phone calls!

Enter my sweet nephew in February 2003!  Now, my dear sis is a mom, too, and I get to be the fun auntie!  It is now much tougher to see each other.  The distance is prohibitive to getting together except on weekends.  K works full time, and has a toddler and it is hard for us to talk on the phone as much, too.  Even the weekends aren't easy because my kids are older and their schedules are our life!  Dance classes, football games, they keep us local, and it is hard for K to always come up, and little J doesn't even have his own schedule yet, but soon!

None of that matters, though.  I know whenever I really need her, she is there.  When I am really upset, for whatever reason, K is the one I reach out to and she always knows what to say and how to make me feel better.  Yes, I have my hubby too, but sometimes, he is the source of the problem, and sometimes, you just need your sister, your friend.  And, K drops everything and runs to help whenever I have needed her.  How can I ever repay that?  How can I ever repay what that means to me?  I can't.

I only wish I could be half the friend to her that she has been to me over the years.  I am handicapped in giving her the same support by two things, kids that are older and have demanding schedules and my illness.  Yet another aspect of my life affected by my RA and Lupus. 

All I can do is tell her.  K, I love you and appreciate you so very much.  You are the best friend, the best sister, anyone could ever hope to have.

Thank you, thank you for being one of my many blessings.

Be well,
Dawn