How do you cultivate friends?

A new lady came to Church last year. She was a new widow. She's over 6 ' tall and a 'solid' built lady. When she bore her testimony, she apologized (in a way) for being big. It broke my heart.


Someone or someones, had really torn down her self-confidence. So I grabbed her and told her after that meeting...you won't find judgement here. We love folks for their hearts, not their shoe size or anything else.

Fast forward to last month. She had kept get well cards coming while I was in the hospitals...even brought flowers once. She writes and composes songs and poetry. She had an abusive first marriage and a warm and loving second one.

I cried when she said she'd tried valiantly to find a home here, but the prices are too high and she had to move up the coast.

On a whim, I began sending her wee notes; get well, welcome to your new place, etc. Then I read from her emails to me, about her insomnia, her health and her loneliness. And she said, "I'm sorry, I've probably put you to sleep, running my mouth so long."

So I've been writing to her, asking about her growing up years, her marriages (nothing personal) and her family, before and after marriage. She's responded and sent pictures, and I've sent her some of mine.

She was the pianist for the Primary and my littles will sorely miss her. She asked if she sent them postage if they'd write to her. You can bet I'll see that they get that chance. Without the postage...