Googled

A few mornings ago the phone rang. Steve answered it and I heard him greet the other person on the line. It was a friend from our church in Virginia. I guessed she had news of some sort for us, but I figured Steve would get the information and pass it on to me if it was for me, so I started to leave the room. Then he said, "Trish... yeah... We know her... Okay, here's Laura."

There's only ever been one Trish in my life, so I eagerly grabbed the phone and took the information from our Virginia friend. She said Trish had called the church office saying she was looking for a friend she thought might go to that church. The secretary took Trish's contact information and promised to pass it on to me, but wouldn't tell Trish whether or not I was the Laura she was looking for. I asked where Trish was living, but the friend on the phone didn't know.

I called the phone number for Trish, left a message on her voicemail and settled down to wait. Very soon I got a call and I recognized the voice right away before she identified herself - it was Trish!

Trish and I met 25 years ago. I had just graduated from college and had recently met Steve. I got a job in a local restaurant so I could make enough money and have a rather flexible schedule so that I could occasionally fly to Virginia to see Steve while he was at The Basic School at Quantico. Trish worked at that restaurant and was kind enough to befriend me and helped me get used to being in a long-distance relationship. She was a true and faithful friend. If I wanted fun, I'd call Trish. If I needed help, I'd call Trish. If I was upset and needed to talk, I'd call Trish. Trish was what Penny terms a "2:00 a.m. friend." If I were in the ER at 2:00 a.m., I could call Trish and she'd come immediately. When Steve and I married she served punch at our reception. A few years later she delighted me by making me her matron of honor at her wedding. We stayed in touch and continued to see each other from time to time until about 15 years ago. Then I moved again, she moved again, my parents moved, her mother died and her father remarried. We lost touch with each other and had no way to contact either of our parents to find one another.

About a year ago I googled her name and the last place I knew she'd lived and read through several pages without finding what I thought was a credible match. I gave up the search.

Trish (faithful friend that she is) googled my name recently and read through many, many, many pages until she found a review of a book I'd written a few years ago. I had posted a link to our church's website and Trish clicked on the link. She went to the photos page and looked through dozens of photos. She saw Steve and knew she had the right Laura. Then she called the church and here we are.

Today Trish came to my house to visit. We don't live too far apart - she's in Georgia, about 1 1/2 hours from me. We caught up on each other's lives - husbands, children, extended families, our former co-workers and friends. It was an incredible 4 hours. I'm still feeling the adrenaline rush! My jaw actually hurts - poor Trish, her ears must hurt from all the talking I did! She brought us a pound cake she made and it was delicious. My children met her and were reasonably well-behaved. The last time I'd seen Trish the only children we had were Glenn, Aric, Tom, Jacy and Sarah. Sarah was a baby.

Trish is just as beautiful, just as cheerful, just as gracious as she was fifteen years ago - and as she was twenty-five years ago. And you know what? She still feels like a "2:00 a.m. friend."