No Greater Gift
In August, my novel, The Gift, will be published.
It’s book 2 in my Prairie State Friends series,
and continues with the stories involving the friendship
of Elaine, Leah, and Priscilla. While this is a
fiction novel, it’s based on true-to-life
experiences involving long-lasting friendships
and how the Amish respond to one another.
There’s no greater gift than having a close friend.
It’s good to know you can count on them.
With a dear friend you can laugh and cry,
Knowing they won’t judge or ask why.
A friend gives and accepts advice,
There’s no greater gift than a friend for life.
A friend sticks closer than a brother,
Friends are always there for each other.
In the Bible we are told,
The gift of friendship is worth more than gold.
How has a special friend enriched your life?
There is nothing better than a close friend that no matter where you move, or how old you get, is always there when she is needed or when she needs you. I have just such a wonderful friend. We have been friends since we were 11. Now that’s a long time.
I have 2 wonderful Christian friends. One I worked with and now that we are both retired we have kept up our friendship and meet for lunch ever so often. My other friend I go to church with. She’s my spiritual mentor and I can go to her with any questions I may have or with any prayer request. She has always been there for me. I’m more than fortunate to have these two wonderful ladies in my life.
I have a long-lasting friendship with a wonderful friend. We are celebrating 40 years of friendship this year. We haven’t always lived in the same area but pick up where ever we are. We know we can contact each other no matter the time with a concern that needs prayer or just to talk about something on our minds. A friendship like that is a gift from God and definitely worth more than gold or anything else this world may offer. Blessings Wanda!
I have two wonderful life long friends who are both my sister-in-laws. Their names are Elaine
DeFilippo my brothers wife. and Caryl-Jean Tancreti, my Husband’s sister. I have known Elaine since I was five years old 1953and Caryl Jean for 47 years. They were both my maid and matron of honors at out Wedding. It is wonderful to share most of my life with both these women we have so many memories or everything in our live. Happy and sad. They are truly gifts from God..Thank you Wanda for letting me share out lives with you.
Very few people in our lives become true friends. You can be away from them for long periods of time, but then the time slips away when you talk or spend time together again.
I know how valuable friends can be and they all passed a friendship test with flying colors this last year when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and every single one of them were there for me. That doesn’t always happen. God Bless my Friends!
My special friend became my friend in 1979, she got our family into church as she was a pastor’s wife. Not only did she lead me to the Lord, she taught me patience and to never give up. She found out she had lupus, not just one form of the collagen vascular diseases but ALL five in the family, in the mid 1980’s and never once asked, “Why me Lord?”, she always asked him to use her and her illness for his benefit, to help people see what God can do in your life. She lost her battle with these diseases in May of 2014 and I miss her dearly but I also know she is no longer suffering and is a much better place. I know that I can talk to her whenever I want still and that she is watching me always. She was so influential to me in faith, strength and love!
wfnren at aol dot com
I have a close friend that I cherish and we confide everything with. I think with age comes wisdom and understanding because when I was in my 20s it was very hard for me to keep friends and now that I am in my 40s it seems easier, but now I have fewer friends, but GOOD FRIENDS and I pray we have a friendship forever! Love you Dixie!
Friends are part of your heart, it helps it to beat. sorta like a pacemaker that helps when your heart is broken and you need help to heal or just to celebrate another day .Ii have a great friend that no matter what happens or mood I am in she is there for me as well as the helpmate of a husband I have . God has been good to me I am blessed.
A close friend is truly an angel. No matter what happens your close friend will be there. Through thick and thin, good and bad, your close friend is there.
True friends are so hard to find. I always heard you can usually count all your true friends on one hand and most likely on a couple of fingers. That is so true! I have one friend in particular that is my very best friend. We have been through so much together and have always been there for each other.
I have GOOD FRIENDS that I share & do things with. I consider my daughter not only my daughter but my close friend. We share many things together.
A old high school friend from South America enriched my life in high school a few years older than me but in the same grade. I learned about language, food and the meaning of life from someone who had so little.
A special friend is worth more than gold indeed! I have a couple of friends like that, we have been friends forever and even though sometimes life gets in the way and we don’t see or contact each other for months or sometimes even years, we are always able to pick up right where we left off! A good friend like that is a treasure!
I feel that my Niece is my best friend. She is always there for me and I am there for her anytime day or night.
It would be wonderful if all of us could have a best friend forever. I believe you are fortunate if you have just one.
I’ve had several good friends down through my life, but one remains in my heart forever even though she passed away several years ago. We raised our children in the same town, same church, and our children went through similar circumstances in their lives causing us to turn to one another to pray for one another and the child, and to support one another. We enjoyed so many fun times together and I won’t ever forget her gentleness and kindness toward everyone no matter who they were. She was a jewel that is forever embedded in my heart.
I used to have a friend like that whom i went to high school with. Then she moved alot of places and she didn’t agree with a decision I made and our friendship broke up. I have not heard from her in more than 20 years . Then I moved to Iowa and have not met anyone so I pray daily and read my bible . I am severly disabled with a nerve disease and can’t drive we live in a rural area so meeting new friends in the last 12 years has been hard and non-existent . I do have 2 chiwahwahs that are just wonderful and keep me company and my son who lives in Calif calls me almost everyday.
There is a friend that I went to high school with but haven’t actually seen in years and years but we are still friends and we still keep in touch and we always will be friends , whether we actually see each other or not.
i had three friends like that …sad……
but one passed away…..
now i have two friends left ,have known them a long time….
one i just found again ,we are from germany and classmates..
found one another after 50 years……love them both………
My best friend used to be my boss at my last job. She even had to let me go because of my physical health. I love her dearly and we can have no contact for weeks and pick up like we just talked yesterday. She is the best and I am blessed to have her in my life.
I have read The Decision and loved it. I can’t wait until The Gift comes out. Infact, you kinda gave me a minor heart attack because you entry says it’s the third book and I was worried I missed one! After double checking I realized it must just be a typo. You are such a wonderful author! God Bless you!
My little sister Deborah passed in 2008. She had a best friend that basically grew up at my house named Carly. Carly and I have become close and I call her my adopted little sister. I appreciate having her in my life.
I have worked several places over my life and I have met some great friends. They have stayed with me and we continue to keep in contact and meet for lunch. My friends from childhood, those I’ve known since elementary school, we are still close. We live in different places, but we always try and reconnect and we know we will always have each other’s back. Years may pass, but when we see each other again, it’s like it was only yesterday. These friends are like family.
I feel truly blessed to have a wonderful “bestest” friend…we talk on the phone daily (sometimes more than once) and see each other whenever we can (we only see each other three or four times a year for a couple of days) .God did indeed put her in my life exactly when I needed a dear, dear friend and He did the same for her. That connection will never be broken, for when we leave this world, we will meet in Heaven!!
I have been blessed with a BFF since high school even though we lost touch with one another after that. Praise God, she got back in touch with me!! Her name is also Beth and when we get together for the day we refer to it as a “Beth Day”!! I wouldn’t want to think where I would be without her in my life. Beth and her children are so precious to me…I thank God daily!
July 1, 2015
First of all I want to let you know how much your books have enriched my life. I look forward to climbing into bed each night to read your books..they mean Friendship and Love to me, they mean not being alone. ‘
I lost my husband of 31yrs. to Cancer 8 yrs. ago. He fought a good battle for 3 yrs. He was my Best Friend… I know he’s with the Lord and I will see him again some day but the loss of my sweetheart and best friend has been very, very lonely. That’s why I find such comfort in your books. Thank You. A year after I lost my husband a gal moved in across the street… she was a lonely girl, kept pretty much to herself but she & I made a special connection right away… we spoke on the phone everyday… We could talk about anything to one another and we knew it went no further. Friends like that are hard to find… in March I had to have 2 back molars pulled and I didn’t do well after so I hadn’t talked to my best friend…in 4 days I tried calling her but couldn’t get her and then they said the phone was disconnected. I finally got her Mom’s phone number and called her and asked if Gail was with her. She told me that 4 days ago my friend was very sick and was waiting for a Dr. app. when she woke up and had to call 911 before she passed out and the EMTS had to break her door down to get into her apt. They rushed her to our local hospital and while she was in the ER with her Mom a blood clot traveled to her heart and she was gone…. the shock was unbelieveable.. I’m still trying to deal with her loss. I loved her so much and never got to say goodbye.. this kind of Friendship usually only comes once of so in a lifetime. I was Blessed to have been a part of her life. She to me was A GIFT…that I will cherish forever.
Bless your heart, Virginia. I also lost my husband – almost 6 years ago. It is very hard still. Your story brought tears to my eyes. I’ll be praying for you!
susanlulu@yahoo.com
My friend and our husbands use to go on vacations together and always had wonderful times .Sadly to say she died last year and I miss her so much.
My best friend was my Mom we could set a talk for hours in person or on the phone. We love to go shopping and out to eat with my daughter April. We love reading and talking about the books you have written and couldn’t wait for the next one to come out. We have every book that has come out. I lost my mom on March 22, 2015 she was my mom, best friend and my rock. I will keep on reading your wonderful books in her memories. I have had a hard 3 months and it was hard for me to start reading again. Thank you for all the wonderful books God bless you
Friendships are very important. Since I am a teacher, I have lots of teacher friends. Our staff at school is very close and takes care of each other. If I have a need, someone is there offering help and assistance. I have a very special retired friend who sticks with me closely. I know I can call on her anytime.
susanlulu@yahoo.com
We moved so much before retirement that I have good friends al over the US. I have a neighbor two houses up from me now who takes my calls anytime. She is a great listener and prayer partner.
My special friend is my oldest sister. She is an amazing woman, when my daughter got ill with brain tumor she rallied up and did all she could to help. She even wrote a prayer and prayed with the surgeon and his staff before the surgery’s. When my daughter passed she was my rock to get me through everything and when I would start to lose myself she always pulls me back. I am so blessed to have my sister as my best friend. I would do anything in the world for her
I have 5 sisters that I count as my best friends. You couldn’t ask for better.
I have many friends, but my special friend is my sister. She and I married brothers and live a few miles apart. Our in-laws did not have any other children. So, we have always shared ties, first as siblings and then by marrying brothers. I can always count on my sister during the good times and the bad times. She was there for comfort and support when my husband died. Yesterday she brought me some of the first home grown tomatoes.
I had a close friend for 25 years until she passed away. She never judged me for things I might have said or did. She was a devoted Catholic. I have a hard time opening up to anyone else. I sure miss my friend.
I didn’t know how much it would hurt to lose a friend and the void in my life without her. My dear friend and neighbor for over 40 years passed away 7 months ago. I miss going over to her home to sit down and chat, have a cup of tea, exchange stories on our families, ask questions and get an honest answer, getting her mail and paper everyday, asking for advice or she asking me for advice, just seeing her smiling face. I look over at her home which has been sold and think about her and how sad it is that she isn’t there anymore, it just isn’t the same in our neighbor without her. I miss her everyday.
I have a close friend, Mary, she has been so good to me. One of the things she did was come when my Mom was dying in a nursing home. None of the people from our church came at all, but she did. She has done her best to be there for me through thick and thin. Most of all, she prays for me daily, she has been a true blessing in my life.
I have had a very good friend for over 33 years, she had been going to through so personal issues lately and I feel like I can’t seem to help. We have gone through her daughter having many major surgeries, she helped me through the loss of my parents and the loss of hers but lately I think her being sick has had her making bad decisions and when I point them out she gets upset with me. I miss our closeness, she is like the another sister to me. Which is funny she actually has a sister with my name also. We have had rough times in our friendship and we got over them we will again. I just wish she could get the right support from her husband.
My Best Friend showed me basically how to live my life all over again!! She was already accomplished in her life, and showed me that I had talents that she wished she was able to be able to do. She drew things out of me that I never knew existed, and that made me stronger as a person, which helped me out considerably as time went on. When I hit a major setback in my life, she was there for me, in whatever capacity I needed her, when my family turned away. She’s been everything to me that I could want in a friend and more, and I wouldn’t hesistate to be the same for her in a heartbeat!! Her nickname for me is “mirror,” and I see the way we are so alike in so many ways. We came together by accident years ago, and it would take an act of God now to separate us!!
I really enjoy your books and I am eagerly waiting for the next book in this series. I need to re read the first, as I was not able to finish it the first time. The cover is what caught my attention. I would love to go visit an Amish community someday. A friend as enriched my life by praying for me and lending a listening ear.
Friends are very special people and are there for you anytime you need them. You always need to be thankful for your friends and appreciate what they do for you.
I had a wonderful friend years ago. We met while working together. She was quite a bit older than me but we connected immediately. We rode to work together and shared many aspects of our lives during these trips. I could go to her with any problem and she was there for me. She passed away years ago but I still miss her dearly. I have never had a friend like that since. Miss you Ruby. I will see you when my time comes.
I seem to have lost many friends and family over the years, and that is probably why I enjoy your stories of faith grounded in reality, of real people with real issues, who ultimately realize that God ties all loose ends together in a perfect work. I can look back and see where many threads have been woven together into a beautiful pattern. Others are still loose ends, even after many years (the friends who have seemingly vanished, those who have passed on). Now, facing the possible death of two more family friends, I struggle to believe that their threads (and stories) are not ending, but simply being woven into a different pattern, and that, ultimately, all the patterns will culminate in God’s perfect final achievement.
I don’t have many close friends, I’ve moved from my home where I grew up, and just haven’t connected with anyone. But no matter how hard life seems to be, I have my best friend I met in high school, Jen, she has always been there for me, even though it’s been 10 yrs since I’ve been back to see her. Reading your stories, I’ve envied how close the Amish seem to be, writing letters to long ago friends. Then I realized, I have one of my own, and I don’t know what I would do with out her!
Chantel
I have a wonderful best friend. She was my maid of honor and we spent a lot of time together with her daughters. My husband and I never had children of our own. We lost contact for a while. Now she is a grandmother and we reconnected, it is like we never lost a minute of time between us. It is a blessing to have someone like her in my life.
True friends are real blessings and I am fortunate to have couple close friends. Even though we don’t see each other as much as we did in the past because of our locations, we keep in touch and know that whatever happens we will be there for each other. I have another close friend in town and it is great seeing each other, sharing our hearts and know we can be comforting to each other in troubles and happiness.
A true friend is always at your side, no matter what !
I have many close friends from home, relatives and my church family. I always knew I was blessed with friends but when I became sick with a life threatening illness I knew who my best friends are. They both stopped over everyday or called to see what I need, they drove me to the hospital which I go alt. they have done everything I have asked for and more. just there kind words makes me peaceful. my house has never been cleaner, I cherish the both of them plus other for blessing my life. I still have a very long road ahead of me , I am sure they will be there, I had to give up my day care business after 35 years, so I am now out of work, but they budget my funds to get the bill paid. I owe my life to them. some day I will find the liver I need for my transplant. I may need a kidney to. I know the path of my life is in gods hands and he will find the liver when the times right. it has been over a year. so please say alittle prayer for me so I stay on gods path. thank you for listening
I have a very special friend that has been there for me for many years. We do not always have the opportunity to see each other but it never seems to change our friendship. We can pick right back up and fill each other in as if there was no loss of time.
I just received The Gift in the mail today. I am so excited to start reading it this evening.
Thank you Wanda for all that you share with the world.
Just finished read “The Gift” and, of course, enjoyed every page. Just recently on a trip I was able to reconnect with two old friends and spend some time. Those are just the best visits.
Forgiveness is the only answer for me, I have been in this kind of situation. I decided if I wanted a relationship with thi person, and I do, then I had to learn to move past what they do or don’t do and forgive and let go of it. I do not trust them in the same way, but I still make the effort to move forward. Even Jesus called Judas a friend, and offered him a way out of the terrible decision he’d decided. It did not change him, or th evil in him, but Jesus left the door open in His compassion.