January 7th

January 7th 2008 was one of the hardest days I've experienced as an adult. I can thankfully say that I haven't had to deal with much death in my life, and what little I have, not much of it has been very close to me. Yes, I have lost grandparents, each special in their own way. But last January 7th I lost one of my best friends, Angela. She was one of the most beautiful people that I've ever known. She brought laughter and light into every room and always knew just what to say. She was one of those friends that would send you a card in the mail, just because. She really had quite an amazing story. She received a liver transplant almost 5 years ago (she actually called me the morning she got the call and asked James and I to drive her to the hospital!) and did great with it. It gave her several more years with her two beautiful daughters and husband, that without, she would not have had. She had a few more bumps in the road healthwise, but she never dwelled on that. Instead, she wanted to know about your day, your life, what was going on with you. She was a constant source of happiness and joy. I am so very thankful that I was able to call her one of my very best friends for the past 13 years. I miss her infectious laugh and beautiful smile, but I know that she is healthy and no longer hurting. I know that she misses each of us, but she knows what is waiting for us, and it is greater than we know.
Another good friend of mine was scheduled to deliver her sweet baby girl M last Monday, but after taking a look at her lungs and the results of her amnio, the doctor decided that it would be best to wait until today, January 7th. So, baby M came into the world at 8:09 am on January 7th, 2009...what a beautiful day it turned out to be! God is so great!