Coffee and Conversation

Last night Stephanie J and I met to have a coffee and tea together. 

I met Stephanie through ladies bible study at the church we attended.  

One of the things about living in a military town is that I have had the opportunity to meet other military wives. Steph is one of them, and her family moved here around the same time we did.

We met at the local coffee shop where, unbeknownst to us, a man was scheduled to talk about how he had travelled around the world twice and wrote a book about it.  As we began to settle into our table to chat, this man stood up and started talking to the crowd that gathered in the shop.  I tried to talk quietly over what he was saying, but in the end we picked up our stuff and found chairs outside.

We talked of everything from family to finances, and many things in between. I was sad to hear the lock turn on the coffee shop, a warning that our evening was coming to an end.

Living a nomadic military life is one that is sometimes difficult. When you move from place to place it's hard; hard on the family who is moving, and hard for those who get left behind. 

But saying goodbye to Stephanie was different, because she has done this before. As an often moving, husband supporting, military wife, she has walked in my shoes. When we said goodbye, I hugged her twice, because I know she was thinking the same things as myself: Saying goodbye is the hardest part of military life.  

As I drove home I was thinking about that man who had written a book because he had travelled the world (twice). He was telling a room full of people how he had "discussed life with Masai tribesman, drank tea with Beijing rickshaw drivers, learned Buddhism from a monk in the Indian Himilayas."  How great it is that he was able to talk with people around the world, and come home to write a book. But how much better is it that God saw to it to remove me from my own comfort zone 13 years ago and send me around the country to discuss life with real women, to drink coffee with sweet gals, and learn from each one through laughter and tears; and then, at the end of the day I get to go home knowing that these women are my friends.

There is not enough paper in the world to write a book...His life may have been exciting, but it couldn't possibly be as rich as mine.

This morning I am going to visit two gals whom I love just as much as the friends I write about on this blog (both this week and in the past!): my hair stylist, Melissa, and my anesthetist (she gives me facials), Elizabeth. 

Today I get my last beauty treatment in the desert and I am REALLY looking forward to it.

I could use some prayer though...last night while talking to Stephanie I could feel my body starting to ache like I was trying to catch something. This morning I don't feel any better. This is not a good time for me to be getting sick!  If you are of the praying type, please send one up for me!

La Vida Dulce!

PS: If you haven't clicked over yet, Stephanie also has a blog! Would you go over and tell her hello!