ella is mi amiga

Do you remember that song from grade school (I can't believe I just called it grade school) that went something like this:

"Make new friends, but ke-eep the oh-old, one is silver and the other is gold."

I've been thinking about it a little bit lately. I've mentioned on here before about how keeping in touch with old friends is something I wish I did better at, because I value it. And you can ask Richard about how I feel about making new friends... he heard many a sob story during our first year or two in Kuna.

But I have had the opportunity these last few months to develop a friendship with a woman that has virtually nothing in common with me.

I met Virginia at a dental hygiene continuing education course a year or two ago. We sat together at a table for lunch. I found out she works for the SW District Health Department as their dental hygienist. (Okay so we did have the dental hygiene thing in common.) I told her that if she ever needed a volunteer to give me a call.

About four months ago she took me up on my offer and we have spent many hours together doing oral screenings of 3rd graders for a statewide survey.

This woman is one of the best examples of integrity I have encountered in my life. You know the little saying "Choose the Right"? Virg chooses the right in all the small little details of life. I don't mean to say she is a saint, she has weaknesses. But she just tries so hard without making it look hard.

Looking back on my relationship with Richard leading up to our engagement I can see clearly that I had the Lord's help guiding me into a good thing. I know that since I have met Virginia I have had the Lord's help guiding me into a good thing.

Because I'm far to narrowminded to have developed this on my own.

She makes me want to be a better person, and isn't that more important than if our kids are going through the same phases or our primary language is the same?

So I guess the lesson I learned here is that friendship comes from many different places. And I am sad for any opportunities I missed before I learned this lesson.