Faithful Friends

Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth. Faithful friends are life-saving medicine.

-SIRACH 6:15-16

Almost immediately in accordance with my last post about grief and whether it should be considered a friend or a foe, a few of my friends have shone some light on the topic for me, and they did so unselfishly and unknowingly, I am most sure.

The military has led us to a few different places which have inevitably led us to many priceless friendships. Although the constant moving of bases proves to physically force friends apart, there are special friends who will always remain friends.  There is a unique place in my heart for all of these friends whether we are in contact daily, weekly, monthly, or even just once a year. It's a distinctive bond that forms when you are away from "home" and "family." These military friends become your "home" and your "family." It's just that simple.

Waylon and I met a wonderful couple in Germany at our first duty station. Since our time together overseas we have continued to be great friends although almost the entire U.S. stands between us now. We travel once a year (at least) to visit with each other and also share numerous texts, phone calls, and emails almost on a daily basis. When the word of our tragedy made its way to them they were immediately trying to catch a plane to be at the funeral for our baby boy. With reassuring urges, we convinced them not to worry about the trip and that we understood their want to "be there" for us.

 I know that they have been praying for us and thinking about us nonstop since April 25, 2012. We love them for who they are as individuals and who they are as friends to us. You, too, will love them after this post...

Just last week I received this in a text:

If it's difficult for you to read I will decipher it for you in short: Our friends took orders for baked goods and have sent the profits to us...to use for baby Wyatt's funeral costs. Can you say thoughtful and caring? Actually, those adjectives would be understatements.

This just came in the mail:

Our friends raised a total of $805.00 through their bake sale efforts. They expressed their want to help us in anyway that they possibly were able; they succeeded. How absolutely amazing. Now that, my friends, is a true testament of love and friendship. What BIG hearts you have. :)

SIDE NOTE: We want to shout "Thank You!" all the way to California to all of the people who donated to the bake sale with the intentions of helping complete strangers (us) in our time of sorrow and hardship. It takes truly compassionate people to spend their money and time helping people they don't even know and will probably never meet who are hundreds of miles away. It's heartwarming to know that people such as those still exist in today's world...there is hope after all.

I have been fortunate to work with an awesome variety of people since the beginning of our journey in Germany which eventually took us to South Carolina. Working at the Youth Programs facilities has not only enabled me to do what I love most (work with children), but it has also brought me to some pretty amazing people.

I received a package in the MAIL just the other day--don't get me wrong, I love technology and e-mail just like the next kid, but snail mail hits a special place in my heart. ;) A very dear friend whom I met while working at the YC in SC and her family were kind enough to put together a very special box of all the right things...

The box included:

and

and

and

and

and even something for Lyla:

This special friend has also put together an intriguing proposition to help us in our journey to create a lasting legacy for our little guy. It has to do with a traveling penny and journal--so be on the lookout and be prepared for your chance to add to the journal. More about this to come; It's going to be such an extraordinary event. I can't wait til the day when that journal makes it back to us. :)

These are the kind of people everyone needs in their lives. They are the type of friends that last a life time and are there for you at the drop of a dime.

SIDE NOTE: We truly appreciate every single text, message, card, letter, phone call, and visit that we have received from friends (you know who you are) since the day our world was turned upside down. Life has changed completely, but somehow it goes on.  You all have made each day a little brighter and each tear a little more meaningful. You have given us pockets of hope in an otherwise hopeless time; and for that we are forever grateful.