Yesterday I said that I would be posting about some of my "life-long" friends. All day today I have been thinking about WHY I made that statement and WHO I was supposed to be writing about. I have decided to start this off with my very dear friend LeeAnn Bartholomay. First of all, I almost didn't include her because the fact is, her life was NOT long - it ended in 2001. LeeAnn and I met when Gwen was 18 months old and her son was 2. She was an amazing nurse who had just gone back to work part time. She was looking for a neighborhood babysitter for a couple of days a week from 2:30 till 6:00 when her husband got home from work. I had already been sitting for a number of families in our subdivision, she heard about me and stopped by one day. I invited her in for coffee and the rest is history. We hit it off IMMEDIATELY! She was so surprised that I could tell she was from "up north" (actually North Dakota - but there is not much difference between the "accent" of Minnesota and North Dakota!). We had so much in common and just had wonderful conversation. My babysitting job turned into a family friendship that continued for many, many years. We were pregnant at the same time, MollyAnn was born in December and Doug was born in March. Shortly after Doug was born, their family moved to Wheaton. Needless to say, we stayed in touch. One of our biggest traditions was a Christmas Day family dinner. Neither of us had family in the area and we always had a birthday party for Jesus. I have very vivid memories of one Mother's Day when Doug and MollyAnn were about 2 years old. We were at our house for a "dinner" to be cooked by the husbands. LeeAnn and I went for a walk. The guys were supposed to be watching the kids. All of sudden, about 3 blocks from our house, we see MollyAnn and Doug near the creek that runs through our subdivision. We ran to grab them and took them home. We found Ken and Don totally unaware of the fact that their two small children had wandered off! In the later years we had many great gatherings at their Wheaton home, which had a huge backyard for the kids to play. It was LeeAnn who first noticed that there was something "not right" with Doug when he was only a couple months old. We were having an informal picnic and LeeAnn noticed that he seemed very feverish. She was right. Later that day, our hospital stays with Doug began. I could always count on her to bring Doug a treat when we were in the local hospital. She would often stop by before her shift began. In so many ways, she was a constant friend and hand holder during those tough times. When she was pregnant with her third child, she asked me what I thought about the difference between Baptism and Dedication for a baby. I told her my perspective and she said, "I agree completely! Will you and Ken please be this baby's Godparents?" What a joy it was when Carl was born. The picture above is from a mother-daughter lunch at her church. Gwen and I were often included in these wonderful events. There were simply so many things, I can not mention them all.
But life got busy and we got busy and we saw each other less and less. However, when we did get together for a breakfast or late evening coffee, it was as if no time had passed since our last conversation. As our kids grew up, our problems got bigger. One common experience that we had around 1988 was an awakening to Jesus and all that he wanted for us and our families. We shared so many joys and struggles. She was a great friend. I will never forget the day that LeeAnn just stopped by our house. She never did that. When I opened the door and saw her standing there, I knew that something was very wrong. She told me that she had just been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. I was speechless. I really couldn't believe it! She was the one who ate only homemade food. She always had fruits and vegetables and was so careful of what her family ate. And she was a nurse. Yet, she had ignored the symptoms for a long time. Till it was simply much to late. Over the course of her illness, I saw her several times. Her faith remained so strong and her assurance of Jesus was so apparent. Doug and MollyAnn were graduating from High School and MollyAnn was heading off to college. She so wanted to be able to experience everything with her daughter. But, sadly, she died the week that MollyAnn started college. One of my greatest regrets is that I did not know that she had died until 6 weeks after it happened. I was not "in the loop" to be notified. It was very sad for me to lose this "life-long" friend.
I think about her so often. I remember thinking how much she would have enjoyed Gwen's wedding. And how fun it would have been to show off and share my grandchildren with her. Because we still live in the same house, every day when I leave or come home, I go right by the house that was "their" house. I always remember. Yep, LeeAnn is a life-long friend for me. And I will always cherish her memory.
Jesus, thank you again for providing exactly the right person at the right time. Thank you so much for the joy that LeeAnn brought to my life and to our family. Holy Spirit, would you reach out and touch Ben, Molly and Carl and remind them of their mother's great faith. Thank you that I can trust them into your hands. Jesus, remind those reading this to pay attention to those friends around them. Jesus, help me to remember and appreciate all those you have placed in my life, for this time. Bless all of those precious woman to woman friendships that help us to become the people that you have destined us to be. Thank you for your great love. Amen
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