There is no Arizona

There are some friends who when you are around them you are a better person.  They are the iron that sharpens the iron of you.  They encourage, strengthen, and bless your life.  I have been blessed with a couple of those friends.  Even more blessed to have one live just around the corner from me.  

Homeschooling can be lonely.  Like anything worth doing in life it's hard, and it takes courage and often I need encouragement.  When you are surrounded by likeminded people it makes it that much easier to do.  When those likeminded people think in a different way than you do they help you see things from a different perspective and gain insight that you wouldn't find on your own. 

In the past six years my friend has challenged my by her own actions to get outside and take my kids sledding, skiing, iceskating, or just for a walk in the snow.  Our families have gone together and sometimes we've gone without the husbands.  Sometimes it's been with other families.  We've sat on the beach, walked through the woods,  skiied over trails, talked around campfires, played together, laughed together, lived. 

I know that what I have here is something special.  It's not everywhere.  Game nights filled with games, laughter, good food and prayer.  It's been my church.  For the last three years especially this group of homeschooling mom's has been my church. 

Tonight my world shifted. My dear friend is moving, soon, and far away, probably to Arizona.  Yeah, this is all about me right now.  Later I'll be able to be happy for them, excited even for the new adventure but tonight I just cry.  If I'd known this was our last summer I'd have made more of an effort to be with them more.  If I'd only known.  Hindsight is 20/20 I know.  I feel robbed and ache for this to not be true.  I ache for my children.  Her kids are some of their best friends. 

 I don't want to fathom a future where I don't get to watch those children grow into adults.  I don't want my children to not have these children in their future.  God is in control, He works all things together for good. I know that. But tonight I'm going to cry and it sounds a lot like a country song.  There is no Arizona.