Turkey Bowling with a Dear Friend

"I'm on my way to work and my mom asks me if I can take these turkeys to the Rescue Mission. I have time to spare so I say yes and walk into the garage to open the deep freeze. And then I see them. These turkeys are huge! I mean the biggest turkeys you've ever seen!"

My family and I listen to Cait intently as she tells us the events of her day. It's a few days before Thanksgiving and Caitlin is over for a family dinner at my parent's house, something we've done since our early years of high school.

Caitlin opens her arms wide to demonstrate the size of the turkeys. "Of course I can't carry all these turkeys by myself, so I start rolling them down the lawn in my front yard and then put them in the trunk, one by one."

We start laughing as we imagine the turkey bowling in Cait's front yard as she frantically tries to get these huge turkeys in her car in a timely manner.

"But that's not even the half of it! I get to the Rescue Mission and no one is there who can help me with these turkeys! But, I have to get to work soon and I can't just leave them in my car. So one by one I carry the turkey up a flight of stairs to leave at the doorstep. I'm carrying one of them that's super slippery and it slips out of my arms, rolls down the staircase and into Truxton Ave. Literally cars are honking at me as I try to recover this poor turkey that is now in the street!"

We all howl at Caitlin's story. So classic. Dad leans back in his chair and gives a great belly laugh. Mom sits in her spot with her elbow on the table and chin in hand with a smile on her face. Pat sits across from us grinning quietly. I sit next to Caitlin beaming, almost with pride, at my best friend. She's definitely part of the family. Maid of honor at my wedding and a true kindred spirit, Caitlin is my dearest friend.

Today is her birthday, and while I don't normally make birthday posts for my friends, I decided to write one for Cait because she is in Europe editing a book and I can't give her a present - or even a call for that matter - just now. And while a silly story about Caitlin might seem a little more like a roast than a sweet sentiment, I chose this story because it reveals Cait's heart a bit... Faithful. Servant. Honest. Joyful. Determined... Dependable. And let's be honest, I have waaaay more embarrassing moments that Caitlin has witnessed than I have on her. She's seen me through more than my share of "Annie moments" and loves me anyway. She is brutally honest and yet saturated with grace, she pursues Jesus' truth with ruthless endurance and she gives of herself endlessly. These pictures are taken from New York on a trip she treated me to just before I got married. Yes, she's that good of a friend. I guess there's a lot more I could say about her, but for the sake of not wanting to lose creativity and fear of sounding more sappy than I already have, I will end it here. Cait, here is my Happy Birthday to you... Sorry if I butchered the story a little bit, but I love you and miss you - and wish I could spend this birthday with you. Enjoy your day in Spain lovey...