In keeping with my current "Oklahoma" theme this week, I decided to blog about other things that I miss about Oklahoma, besides Braums! This is my friend Karen (she'll kill me when she sees this, but it's one of my favorite pictures; I keep it on my desk). She was my very first friend in Oklahoma. Have you ever heard someone say, that they were in the right place at the right time? Well, I don't personally believe in "flukes" of this sort..I think it is always a "God thing". It was one of those kind of instances when I met Karen in 2002.
When I moved to Oklahoma, I knew my realtor. No one else. We'd switched branches of services; from the Marine Corps to the Air Force. After 10 years of familiarity, and always knowing someone wherever you move, I was uprooted from all things familiar and dropped into something & someplace I knew nothing about.
For the first time in our 10 years in the military, I was stationed somewhere that I didn't know a soul. Normally with the military, you know someone you were stationed with somewhere else, or you know someone who knows someone; and you at least have a long distance contact when you relocate. I knew my realtor, and that was all. Feeling a little blue and dragging my feet about getting involved in anything was not typically my mode of action; I usually make friends easily (until I scare them away by my frankness and quirky sense of humor!). So the story goes: Hannah decided she wanted to take ballet...this coming from a little girl who wouldn't get caught dead in a tu-tu and tights...could there be anything further from cowgirl boots and jeans? At four her personality was already well evolved, and she was not a girly-girl. Surprised by her desire to dance, and subconsciously hoping there might be a girly girl in there somewhere, I enrolled her the next day for ballet/tap class. I was sitting behind the glass window, watching Hannah struggle to be a little ballerina , when Karen came in and sat down beside me. We exchanged the cordial "Hi's" and were just having general conversation. Somehow though, I sensed that it wasn't just a conversation that was happening because she just happened to be sitting by me.
Karen was genuinely interested in me and why I was where I was and when and for how long...I told her we hadn't found a church yet, and this was on a Monday. She said the very next morning was Tuesday morning Bible study at her church and she invited me. They were starting a new study that very next day, so it would be a good time for me to come join and meet some folks. I told her I might...she says in retrospect, that she knew I would indeed come. We continued to talk though Hannah's class and into some of her daughter's class...I left and the next morning I awoke with a spring in my step and purpose again. I arrived at church and immediately found a group of unsuspecting ladies who would quickly become my friends. Read about this wonderful church at the following link:
Below is a group picture of many of these ladies (the one's who could tolerate me anyway!). This picture was taken in 2006 before we moved from Oklahoma to here. This was my farewell luncheon that Karen put together for me. Dumb me, I thought it was an end of summer luncheon and didn't catch on that it was for me until my dear friend and neighbor Lou showed up. She didn't attend our Bible study, and is in fact Methodist, so I knew something was up. Indeed it was.
I packed up and moved here a couple of weeks later, but I still keep in touch with Karen and Carl hunts with her husband Rob when he goes to OK in the winter. Lots of time has passed, sometimes more time passes than I would like, but I know that at any time, I can pick up the phone and call Karen, and it will be just like no time has passed at all. We fall right back into that comfortable, non judgemental, understanding and communication, that only a friendship brought together by God above can do. I miss her and her kids and her extended family as well. They all took us in and welcomed us to family gatherings and holidays and I will be forever grateful for them. The good news is, that I'm going back to Oklahoma, so we can pick up where we left off. Meanwhile, the telephone will have to do, and this blog helps too...when she reads it! (hint, hint). :-)
3 comments:
"Oooooooooooklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain!"
Awwww I could've written this myself about coming to OK (well not the switching branch part) both times. I always say people are SO friendly and welcoming there. I used to think it was because all the tragedy they have been through with the oil bust, Murrah bombing, deadly tornadoes, etc. But now I tend to think it really just is a very special place with very special people. Three out of four of my grandparents are from there. Two of my very best friends live there and lots of other great friends live there as well. I will always have a special place in my heart for OK. Who knows, we might end up there, I really don't want to move again, but if we do, it would be there.
I don't have any friends that I remember, but I do have fond memories of traveling to Tulsa to visit family every year during the holidays. As a kid I always liked passing through Eufala and going by the Stringtown prison. Weird ...I know.
You made me cry! I was just telling Cathy Botchlet today how much I missed you. And then read this! I think that picture was of us at my baby shower? Is that right? Wow! So much has changed with every person in that picture of us all at my house. What fun memories we have. I can't wait to make more! I will always consider your friendship a gift from God.
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