Old Friends

Here's my dear old friend Talitha and her daughter Eliana competing for largest belly circumference. They said I could share this photo with my blog world and I couldn't resist.

Just cause people are interesting, here's a ditty on Talitha:

I met Talitha at Liberty University. We became fast friends. Some even thought we were sisters. Talitha grew up mostly in third world countries. She's most comfortable eating rice with her hands.

Talitha paints brown children and sunsets and asks for things like mangos and papayas even when she's in the southern part of the United States and not merely the southern hemisphere.

Talitha and I have been friends (even if seperated by a few continents for 10 years now). One time I really ignored her to hang out with my boyfriend at the time (now my husband Pete). She was so patient. I was so rude.

Talitha is the oldest of 4 sisters. She also has an older brother and a young brother. Talitha watched all her younger sisters marry before her, patiently the bridesmaid. She spent most of her 20's in places like Haiti as a missionary even though it was always her dream to marry and have babies (and be a missionary).

Then one day, Talitha's Prince Pete dropped from the sky and snatched her up from her 3rd world mud hut. I scattered flowers at their wedding.

Today Pete and Talitha are happy and healthy. They eat things like tree bark and fennel seeds and tell people about Jesus. They are the salt of the earth.

Let's pray baby #2 has as big a belly as baby #1 and let us all ponder the question: How do bellies get that very big on such a twig and oat diet?

Be well, Talitha. Time will bring us back together soon.