Daily Blog: Friend Fun: Stebbs

Thursday, February 09, 2017

Friend Fun: Stebbs

I have some WONDERFUL friends. And one of those friends could be possibly turning 30 years old today. (Or maybe it is 40? Who is counting.)

My friend Sarah and I met sometime before we left for Turkey in 2010. Okay, so we didn't actually "meet" but she sent me an email. She lived in Texas at the time and had just learned that they had been assigned to Turkey. She was slightly lamenting this fact at her MOPs group when a gal named Amy piped in. Amy was an online infertility friend of mine (who I have never met) and she quickly said: "I know someone else who is moving to Turkey."

So Amy gave Sarah my contact info. Sarah sent me a nice email. We started chatting. When we flew out to Turkey, Sarah and her son William weren't leaving yet, but her husband, Ryan was. He was on our "rotator flight" from Baltimore to Turkey. A month later, Sarah and William arrived.

When she got there, I quickly learned there were FOUR Sarahs in our immediate community. So I adopted the nickname "Stebbs" for this particular Sarah. It just stuck, and it is really all I call her. It is actually weird to write Sarah when I write her name.

We spent the next two years in Turkey taking care of each other. Her son William was the same age as my boys, and they became fast friends. We ran in the same circle of wonderful ladies, and supported each other during a wonderful, albeit challenging time overseas. She was especially there for me during my bout of post partum depression after Abgiail's birth.

I love how REAL Stebbs is. I love that she cane be completely honest with me at all times. I love how funny she is. And understanding. And forgiving. And just silly. She is simply FUN! Turning 30 40 won't change that a bit I am sure.

I have many favorite memories of Stebbs but one that sticks out was a simple one. It was the time we went to McDonalds in Turkey and tried to order a number 4. I could not figure out how to say number 4 without it sounding like I wanted 4 of them, and sure enough, we received 4 of them. We decided that instead of trying to correct it, we'd just find 3 people on Base who wanted McDonalds for lunch!

We also took many trips together. We went to Istanbul at Christmas one year. And we took a girls trip to Cyprus. We also spent a few days in Greece on a Chapel trip. And I took her and her mother on an outing to Tarsus as well.

Today, Stebbs has two boys, and they live in Nebraska. However, they are waiting to find out their next assignment. I am blessed by her friendship and wanted to take a moment to tell her so. We need to be reminded that we mean something to people and that we are special to them. Stebbs is special to me. (And she'll play off the compliment with a joke. But deep down she'll appreciate it!)

I love you friend. My life is better with you in it. Thank you for talking to me every day via text and making me smile always!