Susi is my friend

At Camp Colton over 30 years ago, I met my lifelong best friend, Susi. Lamar may have been paid to run the camp, but Susi was the heart and brains of the camp. She cooked for 60 on an enormous wood burning stove, brought in the wood, planned the menu, shopped for all the supplies, and drove them where they needed to go. Susi was barely 19 at the time.

I was a counselor at the camp and had girls out hiking the mountain. I didn't spend a lot of time in the lodge where Susi lovingly ran the kitchen. Of course, my tent of girls took our turn at kitchen duty. So our paths did cross occasionally that summer. Then on a cold, rainy, not so fun trip to Lake Powell, we really got to know each other.

The camp was all settled in for the night when it started to pour rain. We had about sixty 5th and 6th grade city kids spread all over the campsite in sleeping bags. Scurrying around we found places for all of them; under tables, under vehicles, and under trees. We stuffed them anywhere to keep them from getting more soaked by the rain.

By the time we were through there was no place for Susi and I to get out of the rain. So we ran for the camp bathroom with our bags. It was dry, but the lights were bright in that smelly campground bathroom. Sleeping that night just didn't appear to be in our future. A lifelong friendship was created that night as were huddled to keep warm with pairs of extra bluejeans on our heads to try and block out the light.

Susi and I told each other our life stories through tears and giggles that night. This did take place in a bathroom, so even though we were wet and cold there was plenty of TISSUE to blow our noses from time to time.

Susi and I were soulmates and then college roommates by the fall that year. Fast forward and here we are still friends in our 50s. We have shared our lives with each other. Our friendship is more than being in weddings and taking trips together. When Ron and I adopted our daughter Natalie, and she was born at 28 weeks and weighed in at a whopping 2 pounds, Susi came and spent the summer taking turns getting up with her every 2 hours. She is not just a "heart friend" she is my family.

Everyone's lives are full of good times and bad. Neither one of us were able to have children biologically. It was a heartache that we shared. God provided each of us with wonderful children eventually. I have my 4 hearts through adoption, and Susi got her 2 sweet daughters through marriage.

As we join the empty nesters after this journey, I am glad to have my best buddy and college roomie still only a phone call away.

In Him,
Joyful
1-18-2010
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