Life as Thank You #40

Dear Lorie,

There are very few people who have the amazing blessing to have been friends since birth! You have shaped my life in more ways than I say.  I am writing old school notes each week to let people know how grateful I am for their place in my life.  In honor of your birthday I thought I would let you know how much I love and admire you.

I am so thankful for our friendship. Some of my best friends are family; that is how I feel about you. I love our many childhood memories before you left for Ecuador.  And I am so grateful that you moved to Illinois while we were there. All of the great conversations, the family gatherings, the adventures to American Girl, the homeschooling camaradarie and more.

I have benefitted from your pursuit of knowledge, your drive for excellence in everything you do, your hunger for righteousness and I am grateful and more like the Lord as a result. I wish we lived closer again; I could use more of your help and expertise in regard to health and well-being! I am grateful for all the pushes you gave in the past that I needed. A best friend is someone who inspires you to be all you knew you could be. Thank you for often being that friend!

Thank you for talking things out with me. I miss our long and meaningful conversations about so many things.

I am grateful for the way you came out and stepped in to minister to Jim while on hospice. You are incredibly busy and you always make time for me and my family.  Further I am so humbled by the fact that you have been loyal, faithfully loving me for my whole life, in good times and bad, close and far away, carrying my burdens to the throne of Grace.

I am so blessed Lorie by the Wendt and Hastings families.

May God continue to bless you every day for the rest of your life.

I love you! Happy Birthday!

Miriam