Alphabe Thursday - "L" Is For Life and Love" - July 7, 2011

I must confess, I was married more than once.  Actually, I headed

to the altar several times, without success.  Finally, during a visit to

New Orleans, my pals gave me a T-shirt that said, "Husbands may

come and go but best friends last forever."  It hangs in the hallway

of my home, as a reminder that, sometimes, being single is best

( I applaud those of you who are happily married - I just never was

able to achieve that state! ).

I have now lived over sixty-six years.  I entered Charity Hospital

School of Nursing a month short of my 18th birthday and met a

fellow freshman classmate, Martha Meaux, of Lafayette, Louisiana.

She has remained one of the most important people in my life -

my closest friend - since that day.  It turned out that, my senior

year in high school, in Columbus, Georgia, I had dated her first

cousin.  Small world, huh!

We bonded immediately in nursing school though we weren't in the

same rotation.  Thankfully, that first year, we did live on the same

floor and at the same end of the hall so we spent  a good deal of time

together.  She came home with me and, during the next three years,

our friendship grew.  When I left New Orleans, six years later, I

often came back to visit and I always stayed with Martha or "Meaux",

as I called her.

I was living in Boston when I met my first husband, an Air Force officer,

from Louisiana.  We wanted to get married in New Orleans and Meaux

became my wedding planner, taking care of all the arrangements from

ordering the cake, getting the flowers, finding a place for the reception.

She met with our priest friend, Father Gerard Poche, to make sure all

was secured in that regard.  Of course, she was my maid of honor!

When my son, Shawn, was born, Meaux was his godmother and we flew

to New Orleans to have him baptized since we wanted Father Poche to 

do the honors.

Throughout the years, for the good times - and the bad - Martha has

been there for me.  I was there when she married her handsome

attorney husband and delighted in the birth of her two daughters. 

She has kept me up to date on the happenings of our classmates in

the New Orleans area and she has been my anchor in the only other

place besides GA and San Francisco where I have spent the longest

part of my life. 

To my boys, she is "Aunty Meaux" and to me, she is the ultimate in

love and friendship. 

Yesterday, forty-nine years since we first met, she arrived in San

Francisco to spend two weeks with me and, last night, we giggled

and laughed together like we were still young girls in nursing school.

Forgive me if  I'm a bit remiss in posting, responding to comments,

and handling blogging responsibilities in the next couple of weeks -

I'll be having fun with Meaux! 

I am participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday - check out

the site and join in the fun.