Friendship: Referring to deep connections built on trust, loyalty, shared experiences, and mutual support.
I recently spent a few days with a very dear friend. Cee and I have known each other for decades, but our friendship forged to a deeper level through a significant shared experience. In late 2019 I moved back to my childhood home to take care of my mom, who was struggling with Lewy-Body dementia. Cee was also living with her mom, who was struggling with Alzheimer’s disease…. amazingly, both of our parent’s homes were on the same street, just five blocks apart!
The LORD was so gracious to unite us in this way during this time in our lives; we were able to support, confide, encourage and pray for each other as we walked these similar journeys. My mom passed in September of 2024, Cee’s mom passed a few months later in November of 2024.
Since that time Cee has moved to the other side of the state but the bond that was forged in the midst of being caregivers remains strong. We keep in touch and have made it a point to visit each other when opportunity presents itself.
The two-hour drive to Portage Michigan was smooth and the changing autumn colors provided beautiful scenery. Arriving late afternoon, we decided to catch up with each other over a hike through a nearby nature park.
We became so lost in our conversations, catching up on life, that we ended up going almost 5 miles!
The following day, after spending a few moments at her son’s home and meeting his lovely family, we headed an hour west to the town of South Haven, which is located near Lake Michigan.
We had a fantastic lunch at restaurant called Clementine’s. It is located on the main street that runs through town, which is lined with quaint shops, boutiques, and eateries.
After lunch we strolled down to the pier to view the magnificent Lake Michigan!
Before leaving South Haven, we made a stop at Kilwins for ice cream!
We made one more stop before heading back to Portage, Bumbleberry Acres!
Bumbleberry Acres is a berry orchard, pumpkin patch, and farm market with family centered activities. When we arrived it was very slow, with only one other family, but we had just missed a large group of elementary school kids that were on a field trip. We started our time here enjoying hot cider and cider-sugar donuts on their long-covered porch in comfy rocking chairs. From our position on the porch we looked out over the main lawn that contained a large firepit encircled by swings for seating.
Finishing our sweet treats, we took a wagon ride around the property. They have a corn maze that contains a mystery to be solved in the style of the board game Clue. In this version, the Farmer is missing and you have to find the clues in the corn maze that will lead you to where the Farmer is being held and who is hiding him. There is also a small maze made from hay bales for younger kids. They have playground slide area and targets for shooting the corn cob cannon.
Our friendship is so sweet, so thankful that the LORD brought our lives together!
A friend loves at all times, and a sister is born for a difficult time! ~Proverbs 17:17 paraphrase
