Helping a Good Friend - Sad She Moved

When we moved to this small town in 1994, we were driving around looking at houses to purchase or rent and there weren't many. We looked at a house on a slab, and saw some people inside. 

We were living with my father who was renting a house at the time. When we went to church with him, I met a woman and we became fast friends. She was living in the house that we thought was for sale. Come to find out, her house wasn't for sale, but they were in a verbal agreement with some people to purchase a home soon. 

We spent many weeks and into months looking at buying a home. We lived with my father for a few weeks, then lived in a motel for a few weeks, and then found a rental home until we could find a home to purchase. 

My new friend told me during that time that she didn't thing she would be able to afford the home they were in verbal agreement to purchase and told me I should go look at the home and see if we were interested in buying it instead. 

The owner of the home had no idea that they couldn't afford it and told me they had two other people in line to purchase the home but since my friend said I could buy it if they didn't, the owner told me she would allow us to look at the home and buy it if she didn't. 

We walked through once and KNEW it was what we wanted. We moved into the home 8 months after we moved to the area. 

Soon after that, my friend purchase a home 1 block away and we have been friends since the first week we moved to this town. She is my longest standing friend in town. She moved out of my neighborhood this week which saddens me greatly. I would walk with her regularly. I love that she is in the same town, just not so close. We also won't be in the same church congregation. She played the organ for Sunday services, and I would lead the music. She worked in with the young women, and I did girls camps for years. Several of our children are the same age. 

I saw the inside of her new house for the first time this week. I was going to help her move last week but had that neck injury. Today, I went over and helped pull down some shelving they are removing in a basement bedroom and they are going to allow me to keep the wood to put on the new shelves I purchased at Christmas as the metal on the shelves has ridges and it makes it hard to move things on the shelf. 

This house is one of the most interesting ever. It has aspects from the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's still in use. The man built it himself and just kept adding on when he could from the looks of it. I feel like I am going back in time each time I enter. There are built in items in EVERY room. There are little wooden opening slatted doors to close off the different rooms. There is a sunken family room off the galley kitchen. The basement has long mustard shag and a vintage pool table. 

The light switches are something I have never seen. They have a master light control in the master bedroom which will turn off all the lights in the house. For back then, that is high tech! 

I am sad that she has moved, but am glad she has a home that is larger for her growing family as all her family is having children now and when they come home, there wasn't room for them all. It will be fun to see how she updates and decorates the new house.

I am so grateful for my relationship with this friend. She has blessed my life in so many ways and I wouldn't be in the home I am without her!

Have a blessed day!