Surviving The Chaos: Friends

This last week I had the opportunity to fly to Charlotte, NC to visit one of my good friends. There are several things that make this trip a special and unique one. Sandy and I have been friends for about nine years. We are co-workers at the bank and work together very closely. There were years when we would literally talk every day. Over the course of the last six or seven years we’ve become quite close friends. Her two boys are the same age as my boys (within months) and she and I have many things in common outside of work. She is someone who I admire, enjoy, respect and she’s also someone I have never met in person. I’ve seen pictures but that was it. We’ve never had the opportunity to meet face to face until this trip. It was also neat because our friend Heather from Florida also flew up (they had met once previously two months ago and have also been friends for nine years) and so it was a sweet re-union for all of us.

The other unique part of this visit, and the driving factor to finally just book my plane ticket, is that Sandy was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year. Unfortunately her health and abilities are declining quickly and I wanted to spend time with her before it gets worse. I wanted to be able to visit, laugh, help around her house and create great memories with her and Heather. We were able to take her to the dentist, clean and organize her kitchen, cook a meal, get our eye brows threaded (that was quite an experience!), make a Starbuck’s run, pick up her boys from school and watch Pitch Perfect twice (which is now one of my favorite chick flick cheese ball movies). We were like teenagers – staying up until 2:00 am each night talking and laughing and eating chocolate. Sandy is a strong and very independent woman so it’s humbling and difficult to have people help her with the small and simple tasks that make up everyday life but for me it was a sweet experience to serve and help her. It was the least I could do. I learned a lot about ALS while I was there. She had some friends over that are making a documentary on the survivors of ALS and the common links in their diagnosis and their treatments. It was quite fascinating and overwhelming all at the same time.

I am so thankful for Sandy and Heather. They have both been with me through good and bad times at the bank and have been a great support system and even better friends. I’m sad that it took Sandy’s diagnosis to finally get us all together but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to finally meet up with her and be there in person to support her. She is a strong person, she is a fighter and she is willing to battle to get healthy. I look forward to the day when I can go back and visit her or when she can come out to visit me….and hopefully it’s not too far away.

She will always be in my thoughts and prayers and I leave my trust in our Heavenly Father and his healing powers and know that his plan for her will be carried out.