Little did I know...THAT would forever change my life.
This is Ar... and Mr. Bails (Bailey) her pooch. One of my favorite pics....
This picture is SO Ar. She's born for the country AND for the city - she is hip and cool and fun - she hikes, she's a photographer, a wife, a mom, a singer (and dang can she sing...), a businesswoman, a friend to a million and SO much more... she is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
Ar and Kristina... two sounds straight from Heaven!
Ar is where my love of Ridgebacks came from. I mean... Bailey... HELLO - cute AND a lion hunter... Sadly, Bailey is gone... and my poor friend's heart broke. I tried to console, tried to help... I know he's in heaven but that was a tough nut to swallow. I hated that email.... that news was horrible.
Here is a pic of Pic (Mark - her hubby and their daughter Megan)
and this is Luke...
they are her family.... MY family. Over the years... Ar and I have shared prayer requests and struggles... victories and hopes.... we've done life and we continue to do so. We've prayed, we've cried and we have laughed....
She's my far away friend - a mentor - a sister. The one I could call late at night or early in the morning... she'd pick up (or at least call me back) - she listens. But even MORE awesome than that... she's safe.
She's a friend that I can REALLY be me with and she's brave enough and loves me enough to tell me when I'm wrong. She loves me enough to take chances and say the hard stuff. I'll be even so bold to say that if I did life with her day-in and day-out... she'd tell me when I was annoying, or rude, or unfair. THAT is rare but we both know our friendship is safe so we CAN say that. Of course.... Arlene has a way. She has a way of saying stuff that even if it's bad... I feel BETTER. She has boundaries and from the day I met her I knew she would respect mine. She knows where she ends and everyone else starts. She is wise.
Not so long ago, I shared my heart with she and Pic about a HUGE decision that Holt and I were about to make. They took a few days and sent me a TYPED letter back. Again, it was bold, it was hard but it was good. It was real. It wasn't the answer I was looking for but I KNEW it was the RIGHT answer. It was similar to when I was trying to move back to LA in 2003 after my divorce - the cards aligned and they were there for me but ultimately - Ar, Pic and I knew my return to LA wasn't in the cards. I was heartbroken.
Last night I ended a journey of what I had hoped to be life changing event in my life. It did in fact change my life on some level, but it left me sad because the ending was... well, an ending. It was odd and somewhat uncomfortable and I wondered why sometimes "community" is so easy and sometimes, it's just flat out hard. We have lived here for almost 5 years and no matter how hard we try, we have few friends. Few friends that we can really do life with day in and day out. Many friends are scattered around the Dallas area so I guess I grieve the last minute "movie buddy" or the friend that I sing on the worship team with. I'm not on a drama team with anyone and I'm not in a photography class learning my new camera. I know that's a lot to ask for in one person. But I had that...so I'm spoiled.
That's Ar in action... she is me in another body - just a lot cooler.
I was her personal trainer her for a while - and I called her G.I Arlene (when the G.I. Jane movie came out) - because she's THAT way...TOUGH. Did I mention... she's brilliant too - even created a little spreadsheet with me that Mint.com stole (hahahaha - our inside joke!)
So as I sit here... in Dallas... trying to figure out why people don't "like" me/us - why we can't connect like I did in LA... like WE did in Chicago... so many things go around and around. It's the distance - everything is SO spread out here (maybe); it's our life stage - very few have a 2 year old (maybe); it's our busyness - but who ISN'T busy these days (maybe); maybe I'm a jerk and no one wants to tell me OR maybe...just maybe... God is teaching me to love and adore who I DO have in my life and celebrate the friends I DO have here and when I see them... I see them... be thankful.
Arlene, if I could reach out and grab you right now, I would look you dead in the eye and tell you that you have blessed me. You have a MILLION friends that feel the same way about you as I do and never once did I feel second best to any of them. You have made my life better than it ever could have been just for being my friend. You have spoken hard words of truth to me when I needed it most. You (and Pic) have been my sounding board, my security blanket and my kick in the pants and I am FOREVER grateful. You have expanded my horizons with an even greater love of animals, music, the arts, photography and so much more. You inspire me.
So while I search for community here... I search for similar qualities. Truth - when it's good and bad... friendship.... boundaries... respect (and if I'm lucky a love of music and photography)!
I am blessed, I am thankful and YOU.... you my friend are amazing. Love you Sis.....
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