For Wendi

Forgive my lack of presence on this blog lately. Life has gotten crazy. Really crazy. Packing, moving, transitioning, adjusting. But I am back with yet another goodbye post for one of my dearest friends here-Wendi. I "met" Wendi over the internet about 3 months or so before we moved here. Someone I barely knew at my Texas MOPS group heard I was moving to Turkey and told me that she had an online friend moving to the same place. From the moment I got in touch with her, this Turkey thing seemed more and more doable. I would have a friend. And she had 2 boys, right around W's age. Maybe, with any luck, they would like each other. Fast forward 2 years: W truly thinks that Wendi's boys are his brothers. We have spent countless hours riding big wheels, playing in parks, watching movies, and just being together. And Wendi has become as close as a sister, sharing the ups, downs, highs, and lows of this place.

 To Wendi: I can't say this about many people in my life, but your friendship was and is a direct answer to prayer. God knew that I needed someone like you, and sent you to me. I will always remember our driveway talks and crazy adventures (Cyprus, Greece, and Istanbul just to name a few). I have loved watching our children grow and change together and it breaks my heart that they will soon be separated. W feels so safe, comfortable, and loved when he is with your family. I know that can't be duplicated by anyone else.

 We have talked before about the fact that we have a friendship where we can just both sit and be quiet, no words need to said. So, I will leave this post at that. There are so many other things I could say right now-but you already know them all, because you know my heart so well. And that is the thing I will remember the most.