Saying Goodbye to my next door Mom

I met who would become my best friend at 6am the day after we moved into our new home. She introduced herself by banging on my bedroom window until I would look out and see who was there. Quite frankly, she scared me to death! Up until this point, I had lived in the country, and no one came around banging on your windows unless there was a fire. And I have learned over the years that no one in the city does it either, but if you met my friend, you would understand, that is just how she is.

I started fourth grade the year we met and we graduated high school together. We were pretty much always together, and it was understood that all of our parents had the authority to keep us in line. So, her mom was my mom, and mine was hers. It didn't matter whose house we were at, we were always in trouble for whatever mischief we were causing that day.

We both had the usual "disagreements" with our parents. Especially in our teenage years. But my friend lost her brother during our early teen years that caused even more tension between her and her mother. They were both suffering from a tremendous loss and took it out on one another. They had a difficult relationship for many years. Sure, her mom could give us a hard time, but she loved us.

My friend called me on Sunday to let me know that mom had passed. Sure, she is sad, but she is at peace. Because even though they had a rocky relationship for years, they had made amends. The past 5 or 6 years, they had began to pray together and read the bible together. Things that they had never done in the past. They had always had spiritual lives of their own, but they had made it a practice to do this together. They discussed the past, prayed together, and never brought up their differences again. They experienced true forgiveness and walked in love until the day her mother passed.

The funeral is today and her dad has asked me to take part and sing "Amazing Grace". I am honored to do this for my next door Mom. I will cry tears of sadness for my friend and her family as they say goodbye to their Mom, Wife, Sister, Aunt, Grandmother, and Friend. I will also cry tears of joy for a relationship restored and for my next door Mom being in the presence of Jesus and being reunited with her sons, parents, and others that have gone on before her. Most of all, what I have learned from my friend and my next door Mom is that it is never too late to change your relationship with another. That forgiveness can be given and received. That "I love you" should be spoken, hugs should be given. You don't know when those words are spoken and hugs are given that it may be your last.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
Nor will he harbor his anger for ever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
Or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is his love for those who fear him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
For he knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
He flourishes like a flower of the field;
The wind blows over it and it is gone,
And its place remembers it not more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
The Lord's love is with those who fear him.
Psalm 103: 8-17