So yesterday morning I had to be up bright and early to drive to Kerrville. I actually didn’t have to get up any earlier than normal, but I did feel like I needed to put a little more effort into my appearance than I usually do for school drop-off. Which is to say that I didn’t want to show up wearing my pajamas.
P left to walk Caroline to school while I was finishing getting ready and the last thing he said to me was, “Don’t lock the door on your way out. I’m not bringing my keys.”
And my brain totally computed that.
Until I was racing out the door with my Bible and my notebook and locked the door behind me.
My phone rang about thirty minutes later and P asked, “Do you remember that part of the morning where I told you not to lock the door?”
Dang.
Fortunately my mother-in-law came to the rescue and was able to get the door unlocked even though we’d decided a few weeks ago that her key didn’t work anymore for some reason.
And that’s how my day started. Not stressful at all. Especially when you’re already facing the prospect of public-speaking which is one of those things I do but not without developing a mild case of hives first.
Anyway, I’m going to blame it on the football hangover I had from the weekend.
The game was a rough one. It all started so well and then the second half was just disappointing and caused me to stress eat my weight in sugar cookies shaped like footballs.
But I’m not going to focus on the game because there was so much more to the weekend.
Last Sunday, Jen (my college roommate who was diagnosed with breast cancer in February) texted Gulley and me to see if we might be up for meeting in College Station for the weekend. Her husband was leaving to go on a fishing trip and it was a great time for her to get out of town with her baby, Lincoln, because everyone knows that it’s no fun being home alone with a fifteen month old baby when you can drive a few hours and have people that will spoil him rotten and possibly let you sleep in.
It worked out because Gulley and her family were already planning on making the trip because they had tickets to the game. And it doesn’t really take more than whispering the words, “Do you want to go to Bryan?” for me to start packing a suitcase, no questions asked.
And so on Friday afternoon, Caroline and I hopped in the car with Gulley, Jon and their boys to make the trip. Fortunately I’d stopped at HEB that day to load up on the necessary supplies.
This is what that looks like when you’re over forty.
Listen. You can laugh all you want but those chili cheese Fritos will come back to haunt you.
After three hours in the car (Three hours that I had to mind over matter getting carsick because I don’t do well in the backseat. Or the front seat. Or really any seat that isn’t me driving.) we finally arrived at Honey and Big’s house and Jen and Lincoln were already there. It’s been a rough month of surgery and doctor’s reports for Jen, and Gulley and I were both so happy to finally hug her in person and squeeze that baby’s chunky thighs.
Not only that, Nena decided to bust out of her assisted living home for the evening and join in the festivities.
And we sat around the table and laughed and talked. Jen told Nena the story of how she and Scott got engaged after over a year of being broken up and I can guarantee by the light in Nena’s eyes that there isn’t a person in her universe who didn’t know that story by Saturday afternoon.
Gulley, Jen and I stayed up visiting for so long that we might as well have gone to Midnight Yell Practice even though we’d decided earlier we were too tired. But midnight came and went. And then 1:00 a.m. came and went. Finally, just shy of 2:00, we decided we better pack it in so we wouldn’t be too tired for the Gameday festivities.
Saturday morning dawned with kolaches and chocolate donuts from Shipleys. And Lincoln was up bright and early the way babies tend to do. But Honey got him out of bed and, by the time Jen woke up, Linc was already enjoying his first chocolate donut. And, clearly he’s a genius because it took him three seconds to realize it was far superior to the grapes he’d been eating earlier.
After we lounged around for an appropriate amount of time, we got dressed and headed to campus for all the pre-game activities. Gulley’s husband, Jon, had taken the boys out earlier to see Lee Corso and the ESPN crew, but Caroline decided to hang with the girls and appointed herself chief caretaker of Lincoln.
It’s not often she gets to be the boss of someone. And she took her role very seriously.
We walked over to the Gameday set.
And then we made our way through the newly renovated MSC until we arrived to see the band line up and the football team walk to Kyle Field.
We even had our very own yell leader in front of us.
And this is when Caroline told me to quit taking her picture. It was a tender moment.
Finally, we were about to pass out from the heat because the promised cold front wasn’t so much a cold front as it was a “the humidity is gone so now it just feels like an oven” front. So we made one last stop to take our picture by the Aggie ring and then headed back to the car so we had time to stop for large drinks at Sonic before kickoff.
Did I mention the first half was amazing? Because it was. It was amazing.
I’m choosing to focus on that.
After the game we picked up barbecue for dinner and then our other college roommate, Tiff, stopped by to visit and see Jen. We were all inseparable in college but life has gotten so busy with marriage and babies and, well, life, that it had been years since we’d all been together.
Which is why Gulley insisted we take a picture even though we were all sans makeup and in our pajamas.
(P asked me if I’m flashing a gang sign in this picture. Because he is a comedian. I don’t know what I’m doing with my hands. Or why I’m hogging the blanket.)
This is the second picture we took. I complained that my bangs looked terrible in the first one and Gulley didn’t like her hair all pulled back and then Jen trumped us both by reminding us that she’s bald. And then we laughed until we cried because in what surreal universe does one of us have cancer?
Over twenty years ago the four of us spent countless hours at Honey and Big’s house. We baked cookies and did laundry and ate meals and cried over breakups. We laughed and loved and laid the foundation for friendships that have withstood the test of time and distance.
And as we sat huddled on that couch together on Saturday night it was like no time had passed at all. We were just there, all together, enjoying every minute we had until it was time for Tiff to pick up her teenage daughter from a party which brought us to the astonishing realization that we’re old enough to have teenagers.
The whole thing was just a gift. An indescribable gift. I have been blessed with friends who have humbled me and inspired me and encouraged me for twenty plus years.
The next morning Jen left early because she had to get back to Dallas before driving to Houston early Monday morning to go to M.D. Anderson. We hugged goodbye and kissed the baby and told her to keep us up to date on everything. And then we cried as she drove away because the weekend was over to soon and we just want her to be better and she is so brave even though she’ll read this and hate me for calling her brave and probably text me to tell me that she’s not that brave and she’s just doing what the doctors are telling her to do.
Eventually, Gulley and I got all our stuff packed up and the kids loaded in the car so we could make the drive back to San Antonio. She and I sat in the back seat while Jon drove and Jackson sat in the front seat beside him. Jackson had the iPod and decided he was our DJ for the trip. And as we pulled out of College Station, he put on Chris Tomlin singing How Great is Our God.
Gulley and I both felt the tears come and she grabbed my hand and held it as we listened to:
Name above all names
You are worthy of our praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
I know at that moment we were both overwhelmed with gratitude for a weekend full of priceless memories. The whole thing was just a gift.
And then Jackson put on Thunderstruck by AC/DC.
Which was, needless to say, incredibly soothing and also our entrance back into reality.
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Ummmmmmm…..you could be funnier, but I doubt it! I heard you speak this morning at Kerrville MOPS. You made me laugh. You made me cry. You made me think. Yay! BTW, I was admiring your boots and dress before I knew you were the speaker…..and I am class of 95 from TAMU!! Hollerrr! Thanks for being a blessing today.
Oh, Mel, this post needs a Kleenex warning! You got me with How Great Is Our God! Thanks for sharing your gift of a weekend with us.
As for the game…during the first half I was seriously thinking I’d spend the second half packing my essentials and preparing to move out of Texas under cover of darkness. I’ve been an obnoxious Gator for years and I knew my Aggie friends would never let me live it down if the mighty Gators came to Texas and got beat. Y’all have certainly got yourselves a quarterback! My sister was at the game and said everyone was really friendly and I’ve read on several Gator message boards that the Aggies were easily the most friendly bunch of all the SEC schools. So you made a good first impression! Best of luck to y’all the rest of the season.
So glad you had such a lovely weekend. Praying for your friend. See ya next week in B’ham!
Mary
Surely the perfect weekend. I absolutely loved Jen’s hair trump card. And I loved the pics of the kids doting on Lincoln-such a sweet time for all of you.
Also, it has been so long since I’ve been to A&M that I have never seen that ring and couldn’t tell you where it’s located…come on Arkansas weekend!!! (Just have to get past the 11 hour flight alone with the boys first. good grief)
I just had a conversation about you with my husband…I have read your blog for a long time. I told him that you and I would be such good friends! I told him all kinds of funny things you talk about(like your beach trip before school started and the carts full of junk food! He just kind of looked at me like I was crazy…..I really do feel like I know your heart from reading your blog. I appreciate your humor and your ability to be vulnerable and make fun of yourself. I am so excited about your book coming out soon!(and the fact that your college will be playing my sons college (UGA) in the near future. Maybe you can teach me a little bit about football. My daughter is a cheerleader! The moms of the football players are more fun though (less drama and they actually watch the game!) Thanks for making me laugh and for being you!
I love reading about your special friendships! So wonderful that you were able to spend such a fun weekend.
Although, I happen to believe that the second half of the game was the better part!
Go Gators! Welcome to the SEC!!!
What a perfect description of a beautiful weekend!!!And even more beautiful friends!!
You are so blessed to have such precious friendships. Totally made me cry, in a good way. Will pray for Jen and her family, and I’m thinking a weekend with her friends was among the best medicine she has probably had so far:-)
Well, dadgum. I’m sitting here bawling over my coffee this morning.
Such a wonderful post about beautiful friendships. I want to give all of you a big hug. And I’m praying for Jen. (And she IS brave!)
I second the Kleenex warning! That baby is just so precious. Praying for Jen.
Ditto what everyone else said. Crying over people I don’t know, but feel like I do.
A bittersweet post today. Beautifully written.
It’s 8:00 in the morning and I’m over here crying. AND I’m a Texas fan!
One of my favorite kind of posts: One that makes me giggle AND cry! Sweet words about friendship and gratefulness. Thank you!!
Also, am I delusional to think you captured my friend (who’s in the Corps) in the single pic of Caroline?? He’s a senior, so he’s sporting those mighty fine boots…but I can’t tell in the picture… Anyway, delusional or not, it made me smile–cause I sure miss that fella!
I sit here with tears in my eyes & a quivering chin..one of the best posts you’ve ever written, Sis! xoxo
I’m the proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2005 (WHOOP) and I’ve been reading your blog for quite sometime now. Loved this post. My girlfriends (we all met in McFadden Hall in 2001) and our husbands all meet up for one Aggie game a year. Soon, we’ll be bringing our kids along (however, right now they are all toddlers or younger so we leave them with their grandparents). It makes me happy to see you and your Aggie ladies still getting together even after 20 years, and marriages, and kids, and cancer. Such a joy. And yes…your friend is brave. I’m praying for her. BTHO cancer!
PS. Our tailgate was right near Game Day! The white tents on OR Simpson. So I could have saw you and not known it. That sounds a little like a stalker, very unintended. Anyway, agree with you on the great first half. Hopefully we aren’t going to continue the woes of last season.
For a brief moment this weekend…..all was right with the world. I had all the people I love and adore under my roof and life was perfect!! It felt like time had stopped just for a moment! I relished in the laughter and soaked in the tears. I loved every second of having you all here. God truly blessed all of us this weekend in so many ways! Love you!
Melanie,
Not sure if I’ve ever commented before, but love your blog. I just wanted to let you know our church, Houstons First Baptist, has a ministry called Hope House. It’s an apartment that allows a place to stay near the Medical Center for those people who are receiving treatments/appointments at MD Anderson. Please email me if Jen would be interested in something like this. I personally know the couple whose garage apartment provides this service, and they are the greatest!
Thanks, Heather
I love reading about your sleepovers with friends. My husband doesn’t understand that girls need things like that even when they are (in my case) in there 20′s. I can’t wait to tell him I’m not the only one who does!
My over 50 year old friends and I have at least one sleepover every year. It involves lots of laughter and wine and one amazing meal from the host’s husband. We do go to bed at some point. We also keep track of what people say because it’s so funny the next day!
Beautiful post. I was thinking of you during the game!
Becky,
in Florida
Ummm yeah, as someone said earlier, there should definitely be a Kleenex warning. I’m trying to hold them back but I don’t think it’s going to work because our God is SO great and and His mercies are new every day. EVERY DAY! I am overwhelmed at times by His many blessings.
GAH!! I must stop crying. I’m at work…can’t cry.
In other news, my beloved Vols play the Gators this week and I’m hoping beyond hope that my #23 Vols will whip some #18 Gator tail. All to avenge the Aggies, of course! LOL!
First, Jen is, indeed, brave. Secondly, you, Big Mama, are the cutest thing ever in your camo shorts. Can’t wait till your Aggies play my Auburn Tigers!
Oh how I love reading your posts! I am so happy that you were able to spend the weekend with your college roomies! I had four room mates and when your with yours it brings back such good times for me! I’m so glad you all take the time to see each other! Many Prayers for Jen and I was thinking about you during the game, my husband is a Gator – yuck! I am a proud Seminole and was secretly wishing you all would crush the Gators! Haha! You did give them a hard time so even though you didn’t win it was worth it watching him nervously worry during the game!
OK, I have read other mornings where people say you have made them cry and I think, yeah, like we all laugh out load when we type LOL, but today this post made me cry by the third paragraph after the last picture, I could barely see the screen through my tears. Thanks? but yes, thanks. For reminding me of long time friends and the sad realization that things don’t stay the same forever. It’s good to know that, so we can really REALLY appreciate what we have WHEN we have it.
So glad you got this weekend with your friends. Life-long friends like that are truly a gift. Your friend with cancer IS brave. Her smile is contagious and her baby is adorable!
Yes, how great is our God!
I was thinking with that first picture how beautiful Jen is with no hair. She looks gorgeous!
I think this is one of your sweetest posts ever. I also have 20-year-long friendships and can understand all the wonder that accompanies sharing our lives with special people. (And now I feel the need to go hug ‘em ASAP!)
What a lovely, precious weekend
Tell Jen I’m praying for her!
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you at MOPS today! Wish you could have stayed and chatted with us a little longer. I so appreciated what you had to say! Thanks!!!
Love hearing such sweet posts, Melanie!
Sounds like a perfect weekend!!
I say the brave thing about my sister and she rolls her eyes at me. I mean, seriously, we both know that I would be in the fetal position sucking my thumb and singing a song of woe. And yet, they raise kids and go to work and walk around like humans after the doctor gives them gut-wrenching news and injects their bodies with poison. Geez, I need chocolate just thinking about it.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Jen sports her baldness and looks beautiful. She rocks!
This post made me laugh and laugh and laugh again. And then I cried. Why is it that children can do something so innocuous, like controlling an iPod, but then it just pulls our heartstrings? I’m still thinking of and praying for Jen. I’ve been down the cancer trail and nothing helped more than knowing people cared. She looks beautiful!
And in spite of the ultimate outcomes of both our games, it was truly a wonderful inaugural SEC weekend in Columbia and College Station.
I sure was cheering for y’all Saturday. Was sure y’all would win. It was a great game what parts I did see. In October I will be cheering for LSU!! Geaux Tigers!!!
Dang it. That made me cry at the end.
I’ve been praying for Jen and wondering how she was in her treatment cycle. She is so astoundingly beautiful (hair or no hair!) I’ll keep on praying. And so thankful that you had such a wonderful, love-filled weekend. I had dinner with my lifelong friends last night (we are going on 35 years….met when we were 12 believe it or not!) Authentic friendships of any length are a gift from Our Father, but those enduring friendships? Gold. Pure gold.
Girl, you can write! I went from laughing to crying to laughing again. Your weekend sounded perfect. Such a blessing to have a wonderful unit of friends.
Gulleys right – you summarized it perfectly. Honey is right – all was right in the world. You are right – I’m not brave and can’t believe you said that! But also love that you know me so well that you wrote my mind as I read it:) You were also very kind to Gulley in the pic selection. Jackson will be forever scarred. And she will be thankful. From bangs to bald and everything in between, I love you more than my (Jon Hart or Hartman) luggage.
Now with tears in my eyes….I totally laughed out loud at the picture of the candy because I know first hand how anything with chili in the title can come back to bite you. And Lincoln, is just a mess of cuteness!!
You and Tiff could be twins . . . just sayin’ . . .
Need to stop crying. I am at work for heaven sakes. Cheered for them Aggies this past weekend. And searched the stands for Sophie in the MSU game.
If the hosts on “The Talk” can start their third season w/o makeup, four college roommates have nothing to fear.
But next time please do give us a warning. One tissue or the whole box. Just let us know.
Made me cry too. My mom’s a 4yr breast cancer survivor, so I know a little of what Jen is going through, and you too…and SHE IS BRAVE!
Loved reading about your amazing weekend. Sounds perfect. Why you gotta make me tear up? I mean tear–as in the beginning of crying. Not tear–as in “I need to tear off this piece of paper.” Just wanted to be clear on that one.
Priceless. That is the only word to describe your weekend. I love that pj and blanket photo. I’m assuming chocolate was available in some form? And by the way, I think Jen is brave, too.
I loved reading about your weekend. And since I’ve been in Jen’s place with the cancer and the bald head and the young children, I feel perfectly qualified in saying that the weekend was probably just as perfect as you described and will keep her encouraged for days.
Love this post! Makes me want to jump on a plane to go see my best old friends. One of them is going through a rough time & not getting to be there to help her is heavy on my heart. The love & laughter of a great friendship is such medicine for the heart & soul. I was already teary eyed from your post & then I read Honey’s comment and that made me really cry. Also, for the first time in history my husband & I cheered for TAMU, he went to TTU and I’m a lifelong Longhorn fan. It was awkward cheering at first but I bet we’ll get better at it as time goes on.
Gift.
Yes ma’am.
Thank you for being a friend, Melanie… And making us see the gift in the tears and the laughter and all these crazily beautiful moments.
How great He is indeed…
Love. You.
P.s. sorry about the seat thing ;( I remember Ecuador. You’re just a in-the-the-drivers seat kind of woman and we love ya for it