Fourinarow.net

Michelle, Julie, Courtney, Theresa, Sarah, Shannon… These are my girlfriends. My oldest, best girlfriends. We went to high school together and Michelle and I went to college together. For a while after college, I think we may have all been in Dallas together at the some time but not for long.

Families, education and careers have spread us apart. But only with miles.

We communicate occassionally via email. We don’t talk on the phone much, though, and we don’t get to see each other very often. What, with some of us traveling, some of us out of the country, some of us busy with careers and all of us busy with small children it’s hard to communicate with all the background noise.

However. When we do get together - on the phone or in person - it’s as if we had never been separated. We’ve all changed in different ways (I never wanted kids!!! How’s that for change?) but I guess our core selves have stayed the same. And our love for and devotion to one another hasn’t changed, unless it’s grown.

Early this morning, Michelle’s father passed away. He had a heart attack two days ago and The Girls have been in constant communication since. Lots of praying has been done and will continue. It’s been heart wrenching. We all loved Dr. I. Not just because he was Michelle’s dad, but also because he was such a good guy. A fun guy. And, I think he loved all of us back. He had to have, with all he put up with from us. Like the high school party we had when Michelle’s parents were out of town. He called to check in during the middle of it and someone, realizing who it was, did an “Oh sh*t!” and started speaking in Spanish (or trying to) and then hung up on him. Not cool. Michelle was busted for the summer, but it didn’t keep us girls from swinging by the house and trying to persuade the good Dr. to let her go out with us.

I met my husband because of Dr. I. He attended to Rockhurst College (now University). As a result, his three oldest children also attended college there, Michelle being one of them. While in high school, The Girls visited Rockhurst once or twice to party with Michelle’s brothers check out the college.

Michelle committed to Rockhurst and the rest of us ended up looking elsewhere. I chose a school in northern California. But the school I wanted to attend did not have on-campus housing available at the time of my acceptance. I couldn’t afford an apartment and I was not agreeable to living with a “host” family. (Heck, I was just getting away from my own!)

“Go to Rockhurst with me!” Michelle said. And I did. And that’s where I met Dan. With whom I now have a crazy wonderful family. All because of Dr. I, right? I mean, there’s no way I would have ended up at that school if it hadn’t been for him. Really - who’s ever heard of Rockhurst?

The funeral is Saturday. I desperately wish I could be there, but I can’t. And Court is out of the country. But, Julie will be there. And Sarah. And possibly Shannon. So she’ll have some of her girls there.  And I’ll be there in spirit.  That’s for sure.

Please say a prayer for Michelle and her family today. Their dad will be greatly missed by a lot of people, but mostly by them.