Getting Brenda Back

Brenda in High School

Another delight for me on this trip was spending a night at the home of my dear friend, Brenda Bell Cofer.  I have been friends with Brenda since the 6th grade.  During our teen age years she was very dear to me.  Then her family moved to Texas and I completely lost touch with her.  That left a big hole.

Years went by and life took over. We both had our ups and downs throughout our growing up years without knowing where the other one was, but we never forgot each other.  Then a couple years ago we reconnected through facebook.   Finding each other again after all those years was like a miracle for us both

Our 2013 reunion

Although she and her sweet husband, Doug, have lived in Alaska for several years, they have now built a house in Clarkdale which they will use as a home base, traveling back and forth some to maintain their business there.  Doug will stay longer in Alaska to maintain residency, but when he is ready to retire Brenda hopes they will transition to having AZ as their primary home, only going up to Alaska for the summers. As beautiful as Alaska is, the long winter dark is difficult to endure year after year.  Besides,  Arizona is her history.  She and Doug did a great job on the place they built, with Brenda doing much of the work herself.

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She and Doug took Larry and I out for Mexican Food in Cottonwood - the town nearby where Brenda and I both lived when we were girls.  Then when we came back to the house we sat up till the wee hours of the night talking and talking and talking.  I've met many wonderful people over the years and have been blessed with some mighty fine friends.  But there is something very special about having someone with such deep shared history.  Even though we were apart for such a long, long time,  the torch of our friendship never dimmed.

Our lives have been very different.  But our deep regard for each other is a blessing to both of our lives.  It was so good to have this delicious visit with my friend Brenda.  I look forward to having lots more of them when this mission is done.