Speaking of friends....

My first true friend and I met when we were two years old.  Our mothers introduced us to each other as playmates in the church nursery, I think.  Of course, that part I don't recall, but from the time we move to 34th Ave in Magnolia (Seattle, WA), aside from my sisters, Lynette was my best friend and playmate.  We played at her house, our house, at parks, on the ballfield of Catherine Blaine Junior High (name it was called at the time), on the fresh asphalt of the Lady of Fatima church and school. I became insecure once or twice when Lynette occasionally chose activities with her next-door neighbor, Myra, instead of being with me.  It took awhile, but I gradually learned that "best friends" still had space for other friends, too.

And then when my family moved away to Parker, Idaho and then returned to Magnolia a year later, I had to painfully learn that it is ok when "My best friend" becomes the "best friend of my sister." and over a lifetime, I have learned that a friendship sprouted in a good foundation, is a blessing throughout my life.

Having "lost" my best friend, I developed new valuable friendships.  Lewis and Rick became my new "best friends" for years to come.  There were times that I couldn't distinguish the closeness and love I felt for each individually from the friendships we shared.  However, Lewis and Rick, or Rick and Lewis were my friends, my "adopted brothers", my protectors at youth conference, my sounding boards, my musical influencers, and filled so many places in my life with constancy whether I was in Seattle, Rexburg, or on the North Kitsap Peninsula. In addition, Rick became my driving coach and Seattle - Edmonds tour guide, always ensuring I returned home safely. These two young men were the kind of male friends I wish my daughters had known in their youth and young adult life. So fun, so respectful, so steady in their dedication to God, covenants, and me. I know I greatly confused them from time to time, especially in my early 20's. I just couldn't seem to find my path when it came to commitment. At that point in my life this Wright was too worried about choosing the right one. I was in a complete mess when it came to decision making, and frankly "fear of making the wrong choices" still plays a part in my life.  (That is another topic for another day.) We seldom communicate although for years I've wondered if they had any idea what a positive influence there were in my life, and even still memories of our friendship warm me.

On my mission, companions became my friends, well, most of them, anyway, but we lost touch fairly rapidly, except for one friend, Van, who reached out to me a few months after my mission, and he is now my husband.  He is still my friend throughout the various stages of my adult life.  I will write about that another time.

Early marriage took us back to Rexburg where I reconnected with a high school friend and college roommate.  Amy is an adventurous friend.  She grew up with the opportunity to live in other places, like Guam.  She occasionally crashed our college classes pretending to be a foreigner that didn't understand English while attending our college classes.  Amy introduced Teri (my sister) and me to Disco in Rexburg.  We worked together at the local grocer, Tei and Amy worked in the potatoes harvest in Arco, making "booku bucks".  Teri and I live in the home of Amy's parents on Main street in Rexburg our last year at Ricks college.  Van and I moved to Rexburg for college and visited Amy who had married Scott (now ex-husband). We became good friends.  We had game nights, walks in the winter snow, and frequented hot springs when we weren't working.  We all learned that "Lisa hates the game RISK". Our 2nd year in Rexburg, Amy and Scott moved to Spokane, WA for school. It was while visiting them in Spokane one winter, that we decided to move here instead of Seattle or San Diego areas.  It was winter, snowy and cold at the time, and we thought, if we like it in this climate, we certainly will like it in all four seasons.  Spokane was similar to the seasons we experienced in Rexburg, but with milder winds.  Plus there is a lot of water here...lakes, rivers, streams, etc.  It was our San Diego - Seattle affordable compromise.  Amy was instrumental in helping us find work at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake.  Amy and Scott introduced us to Silver Mountain and skiing. After helping us locate and settle into an affordable, large apartment that would take cats, Amy and Scott moved to Missoula, Montana for school and then settled in North Idaho Coeur d'Alene - Kellogg areas.  Amy and Scott were adopted aunt and uncle for our young children.  We assumed a similar role with their young children. As time went on, changes came, Amy and Scott split, Phil and Olivia grew up, and Amy took over the Kellogg Physical Therapy business that she and Scott started.  Amy and I still reach out to one another from time to time, most often near her October birthday, but not limited to then.  She is still fun, spontaneous, and now loves her house on the lake and grandchildren.  She vacations in Hawaii and Pulau regularly.

Almost from the beginning of our time in Spokane we met Gary and Shari, and Jon and Keelyn through church home and visiting teaching.  We were all young marrieds, without children, with similar interests, working hard to establish ourselves in the area.  Shari and Gary were both from Spokane, Keelyn from Prosser, WA and Jon from Spokane-Colville area. Some of our own biological families were complicated or lived further away. So, while 4th of July camping together at Heyburn Park, ID, we created our "BOG family" (Braas, Olson, Gordon). What a family adventure this has been!!  

For now, I have other tasks at hand that need my attention, so I will expand on our BOG family and other close friends and sisters at another time.

But, when it comes to friendships, good friends, enduring friends, I have been so blessed in my life!