Merilee

 

Merilee and I at the Pendleton Round-Up, Sept. 2010

I believe in a pre-existence. It's a comforting thought, knowing that we came from somewhere before we entered this life here on Earth.  I guess I like the idea of us sitting around at our Father in Heaven's feet, arms linked or holding hands and listening to stories of how the Earth would be created.  Can't you picture our faces when these stories are told?  Eyes aglow with the wonder of it all.  And then we find out that we get to be a part of His amazing plan!  With the announcement that we would all get a chance to go to Earth and the ensuing Joy, there had to have been a touch of sadness as we realized that we would be separated from some of those that were dearest to us.  But then, we made a pact, a pinkie linky, handshaking, bear-hugging pact that we would find each other some day. 

Do you believe in such things?

In a post from several years ago titled, How To Find Me, I wrote of how I had been very sad at one point in my life due to a friendship that for reasons unknown to me (and still unknown) had left. I like to put it that way, "left" because that's what it did. It just walked out the door leaving me hurt and feeling betrayed.  Shortly after that occured I became good friends with Merilee.  I don't mention her in my "How To Find Me" by name, but she is the "someone" that Heavenly Father sent. 

I believe in the timing of our blessings given to us. I don't believe in luck or fate.  I know that Merilee and I made a pinkie linky, handshaking, bear-hugging pact in the pre-existence.  And we kept that promise. Or, really, Heavenly Father kept that promise.  And it was a promise he kept in His time.  He didn't send us to the same family because we needed to be taught different things, you see.  She was born into a large family in the dry desert of Arizona while I was born into a small family in a coastal town of Oregon.  I would be the oldest, her a middle child.  And the experiences we had while growing up would cement our friendship years later when we finally met.

Over the past seven years we have talked or seen each other nearly every day. 
We have run our errands together,
"Hey, I need to go to the grocery store, do you need to go?"  "Okay." 

We've gone on trips together.
"Let's go see Chelle in Vermont and also go to Salem, Mass so I can cross something off my 50 Things List.  "Okay."

We've gone to lunch
"I'm hungry. You want to go to the South Store?"
"Of course."

"I need to go out of town, Ben is going to die."
"I'm sorry, what do you need?"

And then, a couple of months ago Merilee found out that she and her family were moving to California due to a job transfer.

And now she is gone.

My life will not be the same, that is for sure.  And it's a hard thing for me. I'm grateful for Christmas because it hasn't left me a lot of time to realize she is not here in the same city.  But I know that when school starts and everyone is getting back into their routines, that I will have to find a new routine.  And that's not necessarily a bad thing, i know that.  I've had 7 incredible years of spending my time with my best friend.  And now I can start cleaning my house!  Merilee has helped me understand myself better and my children better.  I don't ever get impatient with her even though at times we see things very differently.  It's a good lesson for me.  I can tell her anything and know that it will safe with her.

Just like in the pre-existence, I know that our friendship isn't ending with this separation.  We will talk on the phone, text (you learn how to do this when you have a teenager) and see each other.  We won't see each other as often as we'd like, but it will be okay.  And I truly am excited to see what great things are in store for their family in California.  Because I know that they have a purpose there. Just like I know the purpose of their moving to Oregon from Arizona.  Her husband may think it was for work....

But I know different.