"A friend will be a friend in times of all kinds." ~ Proverbs
17:17
It was a moment that changed two
lives forever. A nanosecond gone horribly
wrong . . . two friends gravely entwined.
At the bachelorette party, just weeks before her wedding, Randi
(friend #1) was playfully pushed into a pool by her best friend (#2). She hit the bottom head first. Her body went numb as she floated motionless in
the water. A C6 vertebra fracture left
Randi no feeling below her shoulders.
Her dear friend (#2), who’d had only innocent intentions, would
likely carry some burden of guilt for the rest of her life. Only in her silent prayers could she speak her
heart to God and beg forgiveness. She
didn't feel like she deserved it but she hung the shreds of her sanity on it.
The story of the “Paralyzed Bride” immediately spread like kudzu
in Kentucky. The media wanted to know
who caused the unfortunate calamity.
They demanded a name, a face and some answers for an “exclusive”
interview. They’d recklessly ask questions
no one had a right to ask: “Do you feel guilty?” “How can you live with yourself?” “Are you still friends?” “Does Randi forgive
you?”
People would paint them with broad brushes. Randi - the sweet, wonderful example of human determination;
the good one. Since friend #2 pushed her
into the pool, she’s the villain.
Still confined by traction, Randi made a decision. As her bachelorette friends gathered around
her hospital bed, she made them promise to never reveal the name of the person
who’d pushed her. It wouldn’t serve any
purpose. It wouldn’t do anyone any good!
With that decision, they’d keep their dignity, and of
course, their friendship.
So, the media changed course – a new twist. They’d praise her for not outing her friend
despite offers of money and prestigious interviews. “Hollow praise” to Randi’s way of thinking.
Protecting her friend was a natural instinct. It didn’t make her a saint for simply doing
the “right thing.” Media and money come
and go, but friendship lasts a lifetime.
Exposing her friend’s privacy during such a traumatic event never
entered Randi’s mind. Ever!
“I didn’t have to forgive her, Randi explained. “I never blamed her in the first place!”
During a celebration of their 3rd
anniversary, the couple announced their pregnancy from a surrogate who’s yet to
be identified. But I have a pretty good
guess who it might be.
Lord, You’ve blessed us with friends who love
us, who share our sorrows, who laugh with us in celebration, who bear our pain,
who need us as we need them, who weep as we weep, who hold us when words fail, and
who give us the freedom to be ourselves. Thank you!
