TWYLA

It was the summer before my grade 12 year. My dad had been transferred to a city 4 hours north of Regina, my home for most of my life. I was sick inside at the thought of moving the year before graduating. This meant leaving childhood friends behind and graduating with a group of strangers. I was SO angry. Angry with my parents and angry at God. It was not in any way fair!

No amount of tears or manipulating could change the inevitable. We packed up our things and headed to Prince Albert. My attitude was awful. I did part of the driving and purposely ran over a groundhog. I thought it would make me feel better but it just made me cry more....however, I remember enjoying the pain it caused my sister. Sorry Darby:)

When we arrived I bought a Garfield poster that stated I'M SO HAPPY HERE I COULD JUST BARF. I proudly and rebelliously placed it on my bedroom door. Nothing was going to make me happy and I wanted to make sure everyone knew it!

My mom had begun going to a Bible Study and met a woman with a daughter my age. Of course, as mothers do, she shared my miserable state. This mother promptly went home and informed her daughter to call me. That was my first contact with Twyla. She was introverted, loved more than anything to play the keyboards, and hated our dog:) She told me during that call that she would pick me up for the first day of school and show me around. Later on she confessed to dreading the day she had to follow through with that. I think her first impression of me was...could your hair get ANY bigger? It was the late 80's, what can I say?

We became fast friends...our lockers right beside each other. From cinnamon buns in the cafeteria to fries and macaroni salad at KFC to me singing and her creating masterpieces on the piano and shopping til we dropped we were constantly together.

I think back now and am really amazed. She was so shy and I know reaching out to me was a huge stretch for her. But Twyla decided to move past her feelings. And her sacrifice made a very difficult time in my life so much easier to bear. The poster actually came off my door by Christmas time:)

One of my funniest memories is our summer jobs. I worked at Foodland and as the rookie had to dress up in a Kraft Peanut suit, stand by the highway and wave at the cars as they drove by. Twyla worked right next door at the Information Center for the City. She would stand outside eating her lunch and laugh at me:) A true, supportive friend!

Some people are in our lives for the long haul and other for seasons. We don't always know the reasons why. But regardless, I think it's important to look at and remember the beautiful deposits they make in us. Twyla had a heart for people, even though it was a quiet and gentle heart. She loved missions and set off for Gibraltor the summer after our graduation to make an impact for Christ there.

A few months after I was married I had a phone call. One that I will never forget... dear, sweet Twyla was gone. She had been in a car accident and killed instantly... sometimes life brings us great pain and other times great joy.

For whatever reason, I was thinking of her today. She left a deposit in my life that will always be there. At times, when I hesitate to reach out and don't want to, I remember her kindness to me and how she would quietly give me a kick in the pants and tell me to go for it, especially before I had to get on a stage to speak or sing:)

God has a beautiful way of connecting us with people. It is a gift He gives us. Some of them are with us for a lifetime and others travel with us for portions of our journey. Enjoy and cherish the loved ones walking with you and be watchful if someone in your life needs a Twyla.