Rolling Down the River

When our family moved away from the Puget Sound area, we faced a lot of challenges but with those challenges came many blessings. One blessing was in the form of my new best friend. I met her at one of the churches I was visiting at. She is shy, like I am and after a few awkward exchanges, I felt as if she was trying to get to know me. Finally, one afternoon, she looks right at me and says. “Our daughters are the same age. We should have a playdate!”

I was so happy! I was so relieved that someone finally wanted to get to know my family. Within a few short months, we were the best of friends! It doesn’t happen often in life, especially after you’ve become an adult, but every once in a while you meet someone who is a true kindred spirit. You know deep within you, that you are friends for life.

In only a few short years, we have been dealt with blows and difficult parenting moments. Together, we have cried, laughed and struggled together through this crazy mess we call life. We’ve also had a lot of funny times as well. This last summer, I knew our friendship was secure because I laughed over one of her mishaps and she didn’t get angry at me. She just laughed right along with me, agreeing that it was funny.

We took a trip to a swimming hole along the river. The place was packed, the water was deep and there was one area with a current and kids were taking tubes down it. We promptly said no to our begging children. In the end we relented and allowed her twelve year old son to take the tube down the current. He jumps in the tube, rides down the current over the rocks and promptly get stuck! He’s out on the shore, stuck, unable to get back across the river and we are silently panicking.

I stay with the rest of the kids as she attempts to wade across the river to rescue him. She has no river sandals on so I see her struggling to walk across the painful rocks. My heart is beating rapidly and I’m already scanning the shore, making a mental note of who could possibly help us, anyone with a small raft that can go and pick them up. She turns around and gives me the thumbs up so I know she’s okay. As I wait, I see this group of boys. They are dropping down to their sides and rolling across the rocks through the current.

It was quite impressive and fun looking. I watch them as they roll down the river, using the current as momentum. One boy rolls the farthest. He’s not even slowing down. He’s rolling right along the current, right over the rocks and right into my best friend. Her legs fly out in front of her and there she goes, straight into the water like a bowling pin.

I’m trying so hard not to laugh. I’m trying to hold it together but my knack for inappropriate laughter kicks in. I start laughing and there is this woman standing next to me. She gasps and cups her hand over her mouth.

“That’s my son!” She says.

“That’s my best friend!” I reply.

Together, we are both laughing but at the same time we’re concerned. My friend finally gets up out of the water and gives me the thumbs up, again. I laugh even harder. She eventually helps her son get across the river and thankfully he’s fine. She knows I’ve been laughing at her and I’m concerned that maybe she’s mad. She isn’t! She just starts laughing right along with me and I knew then that we were friends for life!

What are friends for, we laugh at each other when we fall down and then we help each other get back up! It’s fair too…only a few short months later, I was knocked down by a kindergartner. I fell on my bottom in front of the entire class and the teacher. I sent her a text message about it, complaining about how embarrassed I was. She replies back. “Sorry, that made me laugh!”

I guess I deserve it! For the serious stuff though, I know she will always have my back and I will always have hers!