My Dearest Friend...

This is one of my very dearest friends. I do not have many who are as close as she and I. She's been the organist at my church for 31 years, and she's retiring from the bench. We have played together for the past 13 years. We click, we have experienced multitudes of 'magic moments' in our music. We make the same mistakes at the same places (which works out pretty good sometimes!) I thought we would one day be little grey haired ladies together making them build us a handicap ramp to our instruments...but tomorrow is her last day, officially. Will she back back from time to time? Sure. We'll play together again, but it will never be the same. We have been through a lot together, she and I, some really tough stuff, but the Lord has brought us through, and made us closer. Our friendship is one that continues on, just naturally, even if we don't talk on the phone all day, or send hundreds of emails to each other. I know she's there if I need her, and she knows I'm here if she needs me.

I've known this day would come for the past few months, but have been trying not to dwell on it. I cry sometimes, like when I come across a piece of music that I fall in love with, and know that she would too. The first thing I think now is...who will I share this with that will have the same understanding as I do? No, it will not be the same for me, but I am happy for her. She needs to do this for herself, and I understand. I didn't say I liked it.

Tomorrow is it, she will be recognized and honored by our church family as she deserves to be. We will do our 'mini-concert' on Sunday evening, followed by a Reception in her honor. Then, that will be that. She will be sorely missed, there will be moments of many tears, like the bands of rain that pass by in a tropical storm, ebbing and flowing. My heart aches at the thought of her not being on the other piano in the choir room, not going shopping for more cool books at the music store, no chuch music seminars. As in all of life, there are so many things I wished I had done differently, or done, period. I just want her to know what a talented and beautiful lady she is, and how much she means to me as a fellow musician as well as a friend. I don't want to lose touch with her, and that is what I am afraid of. I'd still like to go to the mall, see a movie, check out the latest accomplishment at the house, you know, stuff like that.

So, tomorrow my life will change, her life will be different also. My perceptions will have to adjust, and I have to look around to see what I do next. But tomorrow is her day, and I will celebrate with her in it, because she is my dearest friend, and I love her more than she will ever know.