Friends are Friends Forever - Part 2 of 4

Lisa - Part 2 of 4
When we moved to Billings in August of 2004, we didn't know a single soul in the state of Montana. This was a little scary, especially for a couple of boys ages 13 and 11. Would they make friends? Would they like their new schools? Would life be okay? Many uncertainties. I am poignantly reminded of this now, as 11-year-old Seth faces those same questions. We arrived in Billings on a Wednesday, and school would start the following week. I was determined to find some connections for Isaiah and Eli before then, so we showed up that very night at what I guessed would be our church. The clerk, Brother Christofferson, was sitting in his office, so I walked in and inquired: "This is our new address. Do you know what ward we're in?" He glanced at his map and told me we would be in the Metra Ward and that the youth were, at that very moment, outside in the park behind the church having a barbecue. What luck!

We headed out to the park, and the first person we met was Lisa. She was the Young Women's president at the time. I liked her right away. She was so fun and so welcoming, and we had much in common. Both of us had five kids, four sons and a daughter. And three of those sons were the same ages: her Sam and our Isaiah, her Jake and our Eli, her Seth and our Seth! Yep, we even liked the same boys' names. Sam and Isaiah became close friends right away. Jake and Eli are still best friends even now, seven years later. And the little guys became "The Seths of Metra Ward."

There is not sufficient room here to include all the ways Lisa has enriched my life. She can do anything crafty. Seriously, everything she touches turns to beautiful. For me, sadly, it's just the opposite. At Relief Society enrichment nights, she and Celeste would take pity on me and do my craft projects. I have several things in my house (well, in my former house) that Lisa and Celeste made. When Luke was due to return from his mission, she and Celeste compiled all the photos he had sent home over the two years and created the most beautiful "Welcome Home" scrapbook for him. This literally took days! And since she has had her job at Horizon Airlines, she has shared "buddy passes" with me several times, allowing me and sometimes my family to fly at drastically reduced rates.

Since the stake boundaries changed nearly three years ago and the Metra Ward no longer exists, I don't get to see Lisa nearly enough. But when we do get together, it's always the same. That's how real friendship is. I will miss her.

Friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them.
And a friend will not say 'never,'
'Cause the welcome will not end.
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.

................to be continued.......................