Holiness Personified

I was here when my grandmother died. Throughout my life, I was incredibly close to my grandparents. My second book is dedicated to them and when I wrote "Playing Hide and Seek with God", my grandfather was dying and I wrote about it. It is a sweet dedication but I have a hard time reading it without crying.

My mother remains very protective of me and the public life that I live intrudes even here. Yesterday I was fielding phone calls from Savannah politicians who needed things done or responding to Keller Deal's emails ordering me to do this or do that. It's just like that. So when my uncle died a few years ago, my mother refused anyone to tell me so that I could enjoy being here.

But then my grandmother died and I can still remember Mom calling me and how I cried in paradise. Then it was a rush to change airline tickets and get back home as quickly as possible.

There was this moment though that I will never forget. I walked outside of the tiny studio that I was in and there was a crowd of perhaps thirty people. Friends from all over the world. They hugged me and cried with me and it was the greatest church experience that I've ever had. Holiness personified. Love without boundaries.

Many of those same people are here with me now. There is a closeness that we share. Hugh and Patti arrived yesterday and he immediately let me know that we have lots to talk about today. Hugh lost his father recently and we will talk about it on our beach walks.

Patti and I danced last night as she celebrated my survival of recent months as only good friends can celebrate with one another.

Paul and Nancy rounded out the dinner crew and I was struck last night how we act like family more than anything else. We order for one another, share things off one another's plates and resume old conversations as though they'd never stopped.

Conner and Hania arrive tomorrow and then the collection will be complete. And the beach patrol will be reunited. Denise is waiting as the only female member. And we will talk up and down the beach a thousand times. And we will talk. And we will laugh. And we will celebrate the pasing of Hugh's Dad and remember my Dad and my grandmother and the birth of Conner's grandchildren and all of the experiences of our lives. We are bound. And it is a speical and holy friendship that we share.

And I am humbled to be blessed with friends such as these.