That was 33 years ago. I can hardly wrap my mind around the fact that so much time has passed. I often still feel like that anxious young 14 year old.
Our friendships had many ups and downs. There were a few significant hurts, but even in those, we managed to keep our bond. We spent countless weekends hanging out, having sleepovers, laughing together, confiding our fears, imagining the future. We were opposites in many ways. I was shy, fearful, introverted. She was confident, extroverted, and strong.
After high school, our contact dropped off for a while. In the meantime, I had come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. A couple of years later, Lorri and I reconnected. How wonderful it was to find out that she had decided to follow the Lord as well. I invited her to my church. She did come, and become very involved in various groups there. We were young adults by then, with different interests, and busy lives, that pulled us in opposite directions. For the next 20+ years, our communication was relegated to a postcard here, an email there. Facebook came along, which made it a bit easier to stay up to date.
One day, an email appeared in my inbox with the news that everyone dreads. Lorri had cancer, and would we all please pray. Many of us prayed. Lorri suffered, and she fought as much as she could. Sadly, after a time, doctors told her that hospice was the only option left. She took her last breath on this earth on April 10, 2018.
I was able to visit Lorri one more time a few weeks before she passed. She had trouble speaking at that point, and communicated with a pad of paper and a pen. I was apprehensive about seeing her. What should I say? Would it be awkward after not seeing her for so long? She was in the ICU at that point, but it was quickly apparent that her mind was as sharp as ever. We reminisced about the old days. Some memories left us with tears in our eyes. But what struck me the most was that for all of our history, the hurts, the distance, it didn't matter. We were sisters in Christ, we still held a connection. We parted with smiles and affection.
Today, I said goodbye to Lorri, at least for now. This morning, this grey, drizzly morning, I gathered with Lorri's friends and family to remember her life. I wondered how I would hold up, and was surprised at how calm and collected that I felt. Until the very end. The pastor encouraged everyone to exit in rows, and offer an encouraging word to Lorri's mother and brother. It was soon my turn to offer my condolences to her brother. I said hello, and quipped that perhaps he didn't remember me, because we hadn't seen each other since high school. He did remember, and gave me a hug. His wife asked how I had known Lorri, and so I began telling the story of how Lorri and I had met in the high school hallway. Up until that moment, I had kept my composure, but at that moment, the grief was overwhelming, and the tears flowed. I mumbled something lamely, and excused myself.
Lorri's death is a loss. Even with the years of distance, she was an important connection with my childhood. We knew each other before and after coming to know the Lord. The good, the bad, and the ugly. She was too young. But God.
I will see her again. Given the choice, I doubt that she would leave Heaven to come back here. She is face to face with Jesus. Her faith is now sight.
So this is my tribute, my goodbye to my friend. I'm glad that I knew you Lorri. I can't wait to see you again, in Heaven.
Love, Laurie
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