In the Beauty and the Wither

I have this friend who sends me cards. Out of the blue. Handwritten.

The cards are timely, but yet I'm not expecting them. Perfect words that convey understanding. Someone gets me. 

This friend said "I'll sit with you in your mess" - when once she quite literally did in the midst of my house remodel. She sitting with me in my mess, then I sitting with her in hers. But she's the better friend because she sends these cards.

Most recently her card was poignant and knowing - acknowledging the current complexities of my heart.  Two years ago she sent her oldest son to college.  All the worries and stresses. All the anticipation. All the hopes and joys. All the emotion. All his emotion.  All the sentiment and memories. 

Someone gets me.

Part of getting someone, I think, is knowing them in the glory and in the mayhem.  Their best and worst. I'm most at home with someone who has seen my victories but also my heartaches. They know the wholeheartedness of me and they in return offer up the wholeheartedness of them  -  to sit with me in both.  In the beauty and the wither. These are the best people.

Someone gets me. The best people don't always need my best.

It is the strongest people that ask the most real questions. Weakness avoids wholeheartedness. Strength embraces it and draws it out.

The best people say "Tell me your story. How has it hurt you? How have you grieved? How have you celebrated? How has it strengthened you? How has God redeemed it? Tell me the whole thing."

Then the best people sometimes send the perfect card..

Wholehearted people. Some of the best are mine.

Someone gets me. Thank God for that. :)