You are the...

...stability in my life, old friend.

You know who you are.

Care if I share a bit about you and how far we go back?

We've been friends since we were 14 years old.

Your mom would pick me and my other sister up on weekends in order for us to have some sense of normalcy.

Thank you to your folks Neal and Cathy as they took us in many weekends...

I have sweet memories of our young teenage years;

Your mom, driving us up and down Mission Boulevard so we could hoot and holler at boys.

Our trip to Universal Studios and we were starstruck in seeing the Hardy Boys (Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson) and we were the only ones in the restaurant while they were filming.

Remember when we got their autographs?

How about the many camping trips with the church?

Fun times.

I was with you the night you met your husband.

We had just come back from the wedding of our other friend Margaret.

We had nothing else going on why not go out to a club and listen to music?!

Listen to music right...Viola wanted to go Dancing.

You weren't too keen on the idea.

You decided to go just because.

Aren't you glad you did?!

That was the night you met Chris.

Your love, your husband.

I went and found us a table to sit at and you chatted up a conversation with two young men we agreed to share a table with.

Your memory is of me, "fluttering around the club and dancing the night away'. Ha ha!

You and Chris married 6 mos later.

I remember the day you called me and shared in my news your found out your were pregnant with your daughter.

A beautiful surprise blessing.

So Lori, I know I will never, ever be able to comprehend what your life

feels like as you have always had the following;

(Which is all pretty cool too)

Have the same job since you were 15, you've worked at only one job. Wow.

You have lived in only two houses your entire life. Your parents home and the place you have made your married life.

You don't like change and your content with where you are.

So Lori, may your 51st birthday be a blessed one along with the next 11 months as each hour, day, and the months go by are gifts.

Thank you for being the gift of stability in my life.

With much Love and a Hug, Viola