What goes around... comes around

I sent a thank you note to a friend on Sunday. (OK... it was a thank you 'email'. Kind of like a note.) Just a small thing. No big deal. She had done something nice for me years ago and I thought of it and realized I had never thanked her for it. Prompted to write it... Sent. I moved on.

Today was shaping up to be a difficult day. Before anything of any significance could happen... I received and read her response to my email. 

It made my day. 

She made me smile. 

I never knew. 

Here's what she said: 

"I hope you know how much I have always looked up to you as an example of amazing strength and determination as I watched you go through some very huge challenges with faith and great courage! You were a wonderful RS President and I always marveled at how you put your heart and soul into your calling and served so well... and did it all so valiantly! Thank you for being my friend..."

This friend has no idea what is going on in my life. 

She doesn't know anything about me right now. 

She hit all the hot buttons with me

...amazing, strength, determination, faith, courage, heart, soul, served, valiantly, friend... 

All things I have been precisely trying to be and become. All things I was feeling very much NOT like. They say what goes around comes around. This was a good thing to come back at me. Reminding me that God sends angels in many forms. One of the best is in the form of a friend. That's tangible. Someone I can see. Someone I can return to. Someone I can call on anytime. I don't have to wonder if I really saw and heard what she said, I can always go back to it. I'm lacking, but I'm working on it... especially that 'faith' part.

It was a difficult day... but not too difficult because she and several other friends came through for me. 

This particular friends words started off the day.

Lifted my spirits.

And I was surrounded by a lot of love and care 

throughout the rest of my day, 

from very real, true friends.

"The fellowship of true friends 

who can hear you out, 

share your joys, 

help carry your burdens, 

and correctly counsel you 

is priceless." 

-Ezra Taft Benson

The gratitude I feel is working out the sorrow I feel. 

Sorrow is fleeting and this will be too. 

All sorrow has an end. 

Gratitude will carry me on 

through the good and the bad days. 

I am grateful to all of my friends, angels in my life, both seen and unseen.