Do you have OTW friends?

Do you have OTW friends?

A new phrase is trending, “on the way friends.”  These are friends that immediately stop what they are doing and are “on the way” to you.  How did this new phrase become a trending subject, well a Northern Colorado mom, made a Facebook post about her friends that drove over 30 miles to visit her and calling them “on the way” friends.  According to Fox News article, the Moms Blog “shared a candid black and white image of two women in a kitchen, one cleaning the dishes and the other looking at a cellphone. The post defined the meaning of “on the way friends” as the people who will simply be there for you when life gets rocky, no questions asked.”  The mom further explained that she was “walking through the hardest season of my life, and as Mamas, we feel like we’ve always gotta put on our big girl pants and just muscle through… If there’s one thing this season has taught me, it’s that that sort of lie is terribly dangerous to believe."

All I know is that friendship is essential to the soul and I have "OTW" friends.  My tribe of friends has always been there for me, even if we don’t talk every day.  They had helped me during some heartbreaking times, like when my mother and father died.  When my father died, my best friend and cousin Doug, was on the next flight and was there that same afternoon.  He helped me explain to my mother who had dementia that her husband had passed.  When my mother passed she was living in an assisted living.  This was an awesome place, and they gave me extra time to clean out her room, but at the end of the day, there was a waiting list.  My friend Melissa basically sorted her items for donations and then packed up the rest of her belongings in her SUV.  I know I was there, but honestly I don’t even remember any of it because I was in a fog.  My friend Stacey helped me with her funeral arrangements, making sure all the documentation was correct.  I don’t know if I emotionally could have even comprehended any of the paperwork.  If you have friends like this, let them know you love and care about them.  They are tough to come by, and you can trust me on that.

Kudos to all the "OTW" friends in the world!  Be sure to follow me on Facebook at @MaryKRadio