Time

You know time has always perplexed me. It either goes by too fast or too slow, but rarely do I feel like time stands still when I want it to. I find myself jokingly telling my kids not to grow anymore. I say, "Stay little"! They say, "No, I want to get big." You see, time is going too fast for me and too slow for them.

Today I found out that a friend passed away in her sleep last night. When my mom called to tell me the news, I immediately began to cry but caught myself and controlled it. I didn't want Wanda (my DEAR friend) to think I'd lost my mind.

Debbie Canino was my friend Valerie's mom. I met her when I was 13. I was a scared jr. high kid being forced to go to a new church with my mom. This was NOT the greatest time in my life. But, it was the beginning of the most formidable years of my life. Val and I became friends pretty quickly as she was super outgoing, and I was in need of a friend. We became great friends and she introduced me to others until I felt at home at First Baptist Church of Long Beach.

Val's mom was the pastor's secretary during my jr. high and high school years. I spent many an hour in her office waiting to chat with pastor or just chatting with Val as she waited for her mom.
It was just Val and Debbie. Her parents were divorced and she and her mom lived in a duplex in Long Beach. I can remember vividly going to their house to hang out. I was always intrigued by the fact that they put their dirty laundry in a bag on the porch, and it came back the next day laundered. They were like the Gilmore Girls!!

I can remember going to a dieting class at the church with Debbie when Val and I would have her in stitches as we'd crack jokes the entire time. After class, we'd all go out for a bite to eat! My mom and Debbie were great friends over the years.

Her passing reminds me that time has a mind of its own. I began going down memory lane and wondered what would have been different about her life if she knew way back in June of 1983 that she had until October 16th of 2007 to live. I can't say that anything would be different as she lived an honorable life. It just made me think about time and how God can see the beginning and end of our time here and earth. He guides us according to His knowledge of this timeline. I pray that through her passing others might come to know Jesus as their personal savior.

Please Keep the Valerie and her family in your prayers during this time.

I will post some pics and stories of Wanda's visit tomorrow.