Everyone needs a Richie

I am writing about one of my favorite lifetime friends, "Richie". I have pretty much known him my whole life. We have come and gone with our friendship, different phases of our lives have pulled us together & apart.

He was there with me falling out of trees, skinning our knees. Water balloon fights, and shared a love of animals & comic books. We went through those terrible junior high days, high school bestie, college days, and through adulthood. The involvement we shared with a Christian youth group hold some of the most hilarious memories. I will bust out laughing on occasion thinking about them. We started as members, waiting till we were back in the car to bellow out the songs in our very best out of tone voices. We only sang (tortured) for each other. We also earned becoming Youth Leaders, which carry some pretty funny stories.

Through early adulthood, Rich was always there for me. I ran to cry on his shoulder a million times. When I married, I would have made him Maid of Honor, but that would be weird back then, he happily settled for my favorite reading of 1st Corinthians 13

Rich was even with me the day I went into labor with Sergio & my first child. There we sat in Church, with Rich timing my contractions, and his brother completely wigged out over it. They stayed with me till we were sure it was real labor & Sergio got me to the hospital.

My kids know him as Uncle Richie, although they don't know him as well as I wish. I think that both my daughters have a Richie in their lives, they just go by different names but hold the same love I have for mine.

Funny how time gets away from you then suddenly the years have past. I will always love Rich & be forever grateful that I have his friendship. Whenever those silly John Denver songs or anything from Styx come on I always laugh & think of him.

Philippians 1:3.. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you..