I’m a sappy person by nature. I’ll admit it. I’m nostalgic and weepy about the most random things. I like to surround myself with things that have meaning. I may be the only one who finds them meaningful, but I don’t care. I know what they mean and each one melts my heart in its own way.

This little treasure is one of my most prized possessions and it’s in my top five things I’d grab if my house was on fire.

It’s one of those flip calendars with sayings for each day. My best friend, Morlie (pronounced Mor-ee-ay) gave it to me for my 16th birthday. I have flipped these pages just about everyday since. It’s gone through the majority of my life with me, quietly reminding me of what is real and what is important.  It has lived on my dresser at my parents’ home when I was in high school. It sat front and center on my desk in my dorm room at college.  It was right next to the phone on my desk at my first job after college.  For the past seven years it’s resided above my kitchen sink as I’ve embraced my life as a stay-at-home/homeschool mommy.

Despite the fact that I’ve flipped through the pages going on 17 years now, they always surprise me. God uses each day to brings a fresh word to my heart. Of course I have many of the days’ quotes memorized and know what certain days say, but God still refreshes me every day with a new whisper from His heart.

I love today’s saying:

The Lord’s goodness surrounds us at every moment. I walk through it almost with difficulty, as though thick grass and flowers. –R.W. Barber

Many times I have tried to find this little calendar to give for gifts, but I can’t find it anywhere.  I guess it’s no longer in print nor are any old ones on the web to be found.  It’s really too bad, because this is a treasure.  It reminds me daily of the goodness of God and the blessing of friendship.

It also reminds me of the amazing girl who gave it to me.  Morlie–the chocolate to my vanilla.  We met our sophomore year in high school.  I think it was an instantaneous best friend situation.  We became inseparable. One of my favorite times in my life was our senior year when her parents move just far enough away that driving to and from school each day was impossible.  So Morlie lived with my family during the week.  It was  an incredible time for me.  She just got me and I got her.  I didn’t always feel as though I fit anywhere, but with our friendship I just fit.  It was easy and it was probably the best friendship of my life.

Sounds like the friendship has ended, huh?

It hasn’t.  Distance has put it’s strain on it, but at the core of my being I know she is and will always be my best friend.  Always.  No matter where life takes us.  She has an amazing husband and three gorgeous boys now.  She’s a hot-shot (seriously!) hair stylist extraordinaire in the Twin Cities and just so happens to also teach at the Aveda Institute.  We haven’t seen each other in years and we don’t talk nearly enough, but I love her just the same.

At my wedding with my sister…

At her wedding…

The last time we were together…My baby girl is now seven and her baby #2 she was pregnant with in this picture is 5.

So, yeah, I’m sentimental about this little flip calendar because it’s so much more than a flip calendar.  It’s a life-long friendship done right.  It’s the peace that comes with knowing there is someone in this crazy world that gets you and loves you anyway.  It’s seeing a daily reminder of one of the best things to have ever happened to my life.

I will never stop flipping this calendar and I pray that this friendship never ends either.

I love you Barb! I miss you so stinking much it hurts!

:::

I’m linking up here…