A Best Friend

The journal prompt for this time is "your best friend".  I have been blessed with several friends that I could write about but lately I have thought so much about Barbara Walker for many reasons.  I met Barb when she and Barry brought their family to Victorville because he had been stationed at George Air Force Base.  At that time we were young parents with children ranging from 2 to about 9 years old.  She was one of the most positive people I had ever met and still is to this day.  We spent hours together either at her house or at mine and we often met in the middle at Center Street Park.  I loved that when we got together she would pull out a slip of paper with things she wanted to talk to me about.  She IS the best.  A short time after they moved here they split our ward and I was sure that would probably end our time together and I was so sad.  I remember her saying, "ward boundaries don't break up friendships!" and that proved to be so.  Barry eventually received orders to Germany and off they went to a new adventure and I was brokenhearted.  I didn't need to be because we continued to keep in touch through Christmas newsletters and over the years we were reunited for brief visits.  Barb always called me "angel Elaine" which humbled me because she was the true angel in our relationship.  I think back on many of our special memories and the Walker family was a part of those.  We have shared mission experiences, wedding receptions, Scott's retirement party and even meeting together on our way in or out of town at a restaurant for a quick catch up.  Now Barbara is taking care of Barry as he deals with the brain tumor he has and I am taking care of Scott as he progresses through his Alzheimer's diagnosis.  She has cheered me on and I hope that I have at times done the same for her.  I read a quote that said, "As we grow up, we realize it is less important to have lots of friends, and more important to have real ones."  Thank you Barb for being my real friend!