Ode to Jode

My friend Jodie is coming to spend the weekend at my house. Mike is leaving this morning for an ice fishing trip, so I plan on having some good, old-fashioned late night girlie talks over cookies and tea...and plenty of heart to hearts. Ahhhh...it's going to be good!

Jodie and I go way back. I met her through her sister, Julie who attended SAMmy's back when I started it in Eau Claire. I've known Jodie for over 10 years now - maybe 11 or 12! She was part of a group of about 5 ladies that were dear friends of mine back where I used to live. We met religiously, every Friday at my friend Kaye's house. Sometimes we'd do a Beth Moore Bible study, sometimes just have coffee and discuss what was going on in each other's lives and sometimes we'd go out for breakfast or lunch if there was a reason to celebrate or comfort. Over the years, we became ridiculously close. We could finish each other's sentences. We knew each other inside and out. We were truly there for each other - to pick up a child when needed, to lend a hand, to help clean a house...we were hands on friends. Mike dubbed us the "Bible Broads." (Flattering, huh? We all thought it was funny and adopted the name.)

This was crucial...because Jodie's husband Tim had brain cancer. And, at the time Jodie's boys must have been 7 and 9 or something like that. It got to the point that on Fridays we'd meet in one room at Kaye's and Kaye's retired husband Paul would sit with Tim in another room because he would have to be watched in the event that he had a seizure...which happened occasionally and we'd have to stop what we were doing and Jodie would have to go and help. Scary stuff. Jodie's faith was always amazing and inspiring. Tim's too. That girl has stories! We do speaking together and she's always getting new speaking engagement requests left and right when people hear her story.

It was so hard when we moved to Hudson, because Tim was pretty bad off and I missed my Bible Broads dearly. A few weeks after I moved, I got the call from Jodie. Apparently, the hospice nurses spent the last few days at Jodie and Tim's house. The night nurse put a pin on Tim that said "I'm going home." The Bible Broads were at the house - it was a Friday - on the day that Tim died. They heard the rattling breath that signalled that he was going. They all gathered around his hospital bed there in the living room, joined hands, and sang him into heaven. Then, Jodie went to the kitchen table and took a Sharpie marker and crossed out the word "going" on that pin so it said "I'm home." And everyone cried. When Jodie told me on the phone I was crying, too. Partly because I felt what they felt. And, partly because I was two weeks from being there. I had run the journey with them almost the whole way...and then had to move. I felt so incomplete. I don't know if you understand what I am trying to write - but sometimes when you move and you haven't seen something through, it can be so hard.

But, Jodie and I have remained really close friends. The friendships that whether the storms end up being strong bonds. We'll always be friends. Even if we don't call, or email for months we pick up where we left off. Some friendships work that way. They are like comfortable places to curl up whenever you need them. You never have to explain yourself or feel self conscious. You're always understood. Your history is known there. You are 100% loved - warts and all.

After I moved, SAMmy's really grew and we started having retreats. I was always the keynote speaker, but I always had asked her to be one of the speakers, too - and she is a favorite.

If you remember, last year I got MS for the first time really bad the week before a big SAMmy's retreat that we had at the Embassy Suites (which is where we usually have it). Luckily, in order to stave off the flare up, they had me on an IV of 1000 cc's of steriods every day for 5 days prior to the retreat, or I never would have been able to stay awake for it!

This year, I didn't think I could handle planning or being the speaker at the retreat. I just needed a break. The first time in 6 years. It was a tough decision. So, we are attending an event that my church is putting on - one of my favorite Christian authors (Susie Larson) and Christian artists (Sarah Groves). It's nice, because the SAMmy's girls from the other Western Wisconsin towns are just staying at St. Paul and Hudson hotels for the weekend. Everyone's being very accomodating. Maybe next year I'll feel up to it...perhaps get a new committee to plan the event and I'll just do the speaking? Maybe it's time to delegate...

But, I look forward to having Jodie come stay at my place. We can stay up late and talk and have some fun, kick back and relax! I really appreciate good friends!