Yorkie's Primitives Handmade Goods

Sunday, August 29, 2010

A Forever Friend

Have you ever had a lifelong forever friend and didn't appreciate it until you were grown? I have one of those friends.

I have lived in my neighborhood almost all my life. I had a friend, Betty Jo, all through my childhood. We played together and could talk to each other about anything and trust that it would go no further. As a teenager, I was really distraught with things that had happened and Betty Jo was always there to put me back together again. She listened to all my problems and tried her best to ease my pain.
Then we grew up, got married and went our separate way. We have seen each other because her Mom still lives in my neighborhood. But it's one of those things where the normal daily routines of life make you forget some things that you shouldn't forget.
It wasn't until my Mom died in 2003 that I realized how important Betty Jo's friendship was to me. A week after Mom died Betty Jo left a card in my mailbox that told me how sorry she was and had she known, she would have been there for me. And that's when I realized that she has always been there for me.
When my brother, Buster, died in October of last year, she came to visit and once again tried to comfort me. And I did tell her how much she meant to me and thanked her for being my friend. I think sometimes we take people for granted and don't remember to tell them how much they mean to us. We talked for a long time and it fealt good to be with a true friend.
A few months ago Betty Jo called and asked if she could come down. She had a gift for me. Well never in my wildest thoughts could I have imagined what she made me. She made me a beautiful stained glass window picture in remembrance of Buster. I didn't even know she worked with this but she does beautiful work. It's an angel looking down and when put in the light it glistens.
My family has tried to help me with my losses but somehow Betty Jo brought a sense of peace that no one has been able to. Maybe it's because she is my forever friend. I only hope that I have in return been as good a friend to her as she has been to me.
So if you have a forever friend that has been there to help you through troubled times, be sure and let them know because you never know when it will be to late to tell them.
I would like to share with you a picture of the awesome stained glass picture that she made me and I hope you all have a forever friend that can help you through your troubled times. Until next time...

12 comments:

Adorable Country Classics said...

Valerie, what a beautiful gift your friend gave you! She does beautiful work.~Blessings~Jody

Jean Barker said...

Valerie,
The stained glass angel is beautiful. Your friend is very talented and an angel herself. I too have a few friends like this whom have helped me in my times of loss. They always seem to know when they are needed most, even when you don't think so.
I have been a follower for quite some time and have entered your drawing for your great giveaway. I also have you entered in my blog giveaway. Thank you for becoming a prim follower of my blog.

Blessings to you,
Jean

yorkie's primitives said...

Thanks girls. It always helps to know that someone cares.

Stitchesnstrokes said...

Hi Valerie. Your friend sounds like she is very special and a real forever friend. I'm so happy that you have her near. She is so talented, that angel is gorgeous and I know how precious that is to you.
Lovely post, it really made me stop to think. Hope you have a wonderful day. :) Hugs.

Teresa said...

Hi Valerie, The angel is gorgeous. She does great work. I am so happy you have such a close friend. I lost my very close friend a few years back. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her and miss her. We do need to cherish them because in life we never know how long we will be blessed with such a friend...

Barb said...

Valerie,
Thank you for sharing this amazing work and a great reminder to tell your friends how special they are!
Enjoy your day!
Barb

Deb said...

What a beautiful and thoughtful gift Valerie, you are so very lucky to have Betty Jo in your life. Thank you for reminding us all to treasure out forever friends and to make sure they know how important they are to us. A wonderful post, thanks so much for sharing this with us all.
Deb~Paxton Valley Folk Art

Maureen said...

Thank you for sharing that wonderful story of friendship Val. We have moved around a lot and I'm afraid I have lost track of many of my friends.You are blessed.

Donna said...

Hi Valerie... Betty Jo appears to be a one in a million forever friend.Some friendships last a lifetime.What a beautiful loveing gift she gave you in Busters memory.She is not only talented but very careing.Sometimes it takes the love of a friend to help you put things in perspective...in a way that Family cant... because they are grieveing the loss too.When A friend is there to know you are grieveing,,,and they in a sence are grieveing your pain.And so want to do all they can to Help with the hurt.Does that make sence at all? I know when my best friend lost her husband to be in a car Accident(they were getting married exactly 2 weeks from that awful day..plans were all made etc.I have known Trace almost all my life...since 5th grade.And we are nearing 50.Well anyhow my Husband does Beautiful wood burnings of peoples faces from a photo.And I write poetry ...So he did a burning of Ed's face ..And I wrote a poem in his memory and he burned it into another plaque.That was almost 10 years ago..and she has married again since,,, but those plaques are still side by side on her living room wall.The saddest part of all of that is she found out she was pregnant that day and was going to tell Ed that night.She has always been there for me all my life through everything good and bad.And I have to say we do'nt see each other as often as we used too. But we do talk on the phone all the time.And in every conversation..we never hang up with out saying I love you because you never know if it will be the last time. hugs!!

yorkie's primitives said...

Thanks everyone. And Donna you too are a forever friend and you may never know the extent of what that gift meant to your friend. She is very lucky to have you in her life, Valerie

Firecracker Kid said...

Aww, it is beautiful! I love the colors. Your friend sounds like an angel of a friend.

Cave Creek Primitives said...

I really enjoyed reading this. Very beautiful - and the stained glass is lovely.