Autumn

I woke up this morning and discovered a new text message on my phone, with a number I didn't recognize. Opening it, I found it was from one of my best friend's, Autumn.

We have been friends for probably 17 years, since the age of 3 or so. In fact, I was so young, I couldn't even pronounce, "Autumn," and instead her name resembled, "Olive." I can remember preschool choir, family activities, and swimming lessons with my dear friend, Olive.

We were both homeschooled growing up, our parents worked in middle school, and her family used to live on some acres of land that our Church owned for fun functions. I can remember spending hours on end with Autumn at Church events running around on a big field, walking on the nature trails surrounding her house, and watching our favorite movies, the Anne of Green Gables series. We were in orchestra together, missions trips together, ensemble together, leadership events together, and even got to see a rattle snake killed....as we clung to each other in terror. People at church would be used to seeing Autumn and Lauren....a trademark duo.

About two and a half years ago, Autumn called me and told me her parents were in the process of praying about going to New Zealand for missions for two years. After we hung up, I sat in silence in my dorm room thinking about one of my dearest friends being in a foreign country for the next couple of years. About six months later, I remember telling Autumn goodbye face to face for the last time. Her family basically sold everything they had, got on a plane, and are in New Zealand faithfully serving God. Our friendship entered a new stage of growth as we learned the distance of our separation. E-mails, phone calls, and 1 text message thus far, are our ways of communication...With the miles between us being felt throughout our catching up. Just today, as I sat in Panera, I got to read two e-mails from her and the tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about the times we had sat in Panera over sandwiches and talked about life.

She'll hopefully be back within next year, and I know that that reunion with be one filled with tears of joy...