Where's The Good In Goodbye? Part II

Bear with me a moment while I tell you a heart wrenching story.  It may leave you a bit farklempted.  Don’t worry, it has a happy outcome. 

Following your military husband all over can be a lonely life.  By that I mean, you leave friends and are put somewhere new to make new friends every two or three years.  Not to mention your husband is gone quite a bit or works many long hours.  I knew this was the life I was getting into when they pronounced us LT and Mrs. Miller. 

One night, shortly after we moved to New York, I was laying in bed and it hit me (this is where you may want to grab a hanky):  I have no friends here!  I had an honest to goodness panic attack thinking about this fact.  We were not living on post where friends are instantly made.  We were living in the country, not a neighborhood.  Our church was an hour away.  Steven was already settling into his job and had “friends”.  Madelynn had started school and was with her friends every day.  I had no one but my sweet little 18 month old.

A few days later I went into our library and I saw a brochure for the local MOPS (Mothers Of Preschoolers) group.  They were about to start the program for the new school year.  I decided to go.



This is where it gets happy!  The Tuesday of the first MOPS meeting came and I walked into Grace Community Church not knowing a soul.  I dropped Wesley off at his class and I checked in and found my table.   There I met Amy.  She was my group leader and we started talking like we had been friends forever.  She had been in the Air Force, stationed at Scott Air Force Base which is down the road from my parents.  Small world!  Three years later, she is one of my dearest  friends.  I call her my first New York friend.  I love when we can have coffee sans children.  I love that our kids go to preschool together and I see her every other day.  I love the goofy texts that I get from her.  

Me and my first New York friend, Amy and her sweet "K".

I could go on and on about the ladies that I met at MOPS.  When I prayed/fussed to God about not having any friends here, He gave me, in abundance, the friendship with these women that have become so dear to me.  I will miss seeing them every other Tuesday, but I’m so thankful for Facebook so it doesn’t feel like they are so far away. 

I’ve already found a MOPS group at Fort Hood and I’m excited about joining and sharing with them the things that we have done here. 

So to all the Grace MOPS ladies, thank you for taking me into your Grace family and loving me and my family as if we were your own.  We will miss you all, but look forward to the updates of what God is doing in your church and MOPS group.

Just a few of  the sweetest women you will ever meet.

If I can only  have a little bit of Grace's sweet spirit and running ability I would be happy.

I will miss Lindsay so much.  Not only is she my dear friend, but my neighbor and emergency contact person for my kids.  She throws the best Cryfest for moms on the first day of school.



I'm so glad Christina was introduced to me at a Halloween party.



Kelly and I bonded while "fighting" over a pair of Old Navy mittens and hat during a dirty Santa game.



Angela is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet.  I am so thankful for all that she and Wendy do to put MOPS together.  They are fantastic leaders and I'm going to miss their quiet, gentle spirits.

Wesley and Ms Ivy, one of the many Moppet workers who loved Wesely over the last three years.