Sunshine Sarah

Sarah and I are neighbors. When we first moved in she walked over with Sam on her hip and a succulent in her hand. I was such a mess and didn't even tell her my name!

I found her on Facebook thanks to her name on the card with the plant she gave us. We began to chat and I could tell we were similar in many ways. While there's a small age difference, we have a lot in common when it comes to how we think and feel about things. I was happy to have a potential friend next door and had a positive outlook for our future on Windborne Court.

I was right in the middle of navigating Emmie's ASD diagnosis and managing her behavior. I wasn't able to really go outside much, and when I did it felt like such a disaster. This made it really hard to bond with Sarah and the other moms on the street. In the midst of all that, Sarah and I had a misunderstanding when it came to our children.

I retreated back into our "bubble" inside the house instead of talking things out with her as I should have. We were both frustrated with each other and have since said we could have avoided so much awkwardness and hurt feelings between us if we had just sat down and talked about things face to face. Lesson learned and time wasted! But look at us now.

Sarah is one of the best friends I have ever had.

We happen to go to church together and everyone there has nicknamed her "Sunshine Sarah." She brings the light and life to any room she enters.

She is the fun mom. She has the best snacks and lets her kids play with slime!

She is patient and kind, and she has raised patient and kind children as a result.

Emmie loves Lucy. Lucy is six years old and Emmie is four; a delayed four at that. Lucy gives Emmie so much love and attention. She patiently waits when Emmie is processing feelings or information and works with the adults to get her to cooperate. Lucy has often saved the day by ending a meltdown by agreeing to walk Emmie home so she'll calm down. Sarah and I have talked about making sure Lucy has a break from Emmie when it all becomes too much, and Lucy has learned to sweetly say, " I think I need a break, Ms. Bethany." We've also talked about Lucy not always giving in to what Emmie wants at the time. Lucy's feelings are important too and Sarah and I want her to know that!

Lucy is Emmie's first best friend. For a mom who worried her baby might not be able to make friends, it's the sweetest thing to see. Whenever Ben talks about wanting land and moving to the country, I remind him of what that will do to Emmie. I don't know if she'd make it without her Lucy. And I don't want to have to make it without my Sarah.

Sarah is my accountability partner. She helps keep me healthy by walking three miles with me every night. We talk about anything from how our day went to our hopes and dreams for the future. It's so good for the body and soul. She also helps me see a different perspective when I'm frustrated or angry. She offers a listening ear but also sound advice that keeps me grounded.

Sarah is one of the most giving people I know. She gives her love, time and financial support freely! If you have a rough day, Sarah picks you flowers from her garden and drops them off as a way to make you smile. If she sees someone is lonely, she invites them over for a family dinner. She single handedly coordinates seasonal events for the families on our street. I mean...Santa comes to her house to read to the children and get their wish lists before Christmas Eve! And doesn't everyone have glow in the dark Easter egg hunts in the spring?

She also pours into others by serving at church. Sarah volunteers in our children's department every Sunday morning and Wednesday night. She also leads two small groups focused on ministering to women.

I often ask her if it's too much. Is she going to get burned out? She replies by telling me she's never felt more fulfilled than when she is serving others. It's beautiful.

To wrap it all up, my favorite thing about Sarah is how she loves Emmie.

There's something special about people who truly love your children. Sarah has a magical power over Emmie. She can get Emmie to listen in seconds after an hour of me fussing back and forth with her. She speaks life into Emmie with positive reinforcements and encouragement. She tells Emmie when she's wrong and what she should be doing differently out of love and care. She watches Emmie so Ben can yell curse words at his latest project in the garage. She takes Emmie for a few hours when Ben and I are traveling so our parents can have a little break during the day. She loves my girl. What more could I ask for?

And all of this that she does for me, she does for everyone.

I don't know if we do our part in return to show our gratitude for her friendship.

So, here is a small attempt for me to try and show appreciation for her. Here's to Sunshine Sarah...the world would be a cloudy place with out you!