She was a “comfortably built woman.” A gracious plenty naturally blond hair reached to her shoulders and beyond and only added to her Mae West likeness. Our friendship began in the mid-70s through attending the same church, singing in the same choir and finding ourselves often volunteering at the same child-related events. But it went way beyond that.
Julie had a brilliant mind, was a voracious reader, loved movies and music which made me drawn to her beyond the mundane activities in which we were involved. I knew I couldn’t match the quickness of her mind, but I strove to keep abreast of what she was reading, watching and listening to.
There were few similarities in our family history. Julie become pregnant, dropped out of college and married the father of her child. Her own father abandoned her when she was a toddler and, as an only child, she was called upon to provide comfort and emotional support to her single mother. With three growing children and a husband who was occasionally out of work, Julie took on odd jobs while still “working” as a stay-at-home mom
In comparison, my life was easy. No childhood traumas. No financial worries. No part-time jobs. I’m sure sometimes Julie envied my life of ease. In actuality, I envied her – her spunk, her zest for life, her humor in tough times and her tenacity. Years later she completed her college, degree and then her Master’s – all while working full time.
When my family decided to move 3,000 miles away and rented two full-size moving trucks, Julie was my first choice as a companion and co-driver. It was quite an adventure. We laughed and complained and occasionally cried from exhaustion – driving two stretches of 24-hours-plus – but Julie never lost her good humor. Throughout the three decades since moving, Julie has staged a one-woman effort to keep in touch. Finally, in my golden years, I’ve discovered the importance of girlfriends – especially that girlfriend – and now relish our time together on the phone and occasionally face to face. She’s my hero and my friend.
Dee Litten Reed
writeright4women 
Dear Dee, I couldn’t have asked for a nicer tribute; seeing my life condensed into those lovely paragraphs touched me deeply. You have been an amazing friend yourself, and I know you know that there are things I share with you that I am sure only you understand as I do. Here’s to continued connection as the golden years proceed!
Love, Julie
Ahhh. You guys are awesome. But I’m still ticked you two made me sleep on the floor boards in the moving truck. Couldn’t you have made room on the seat??? 🙂
Joelle, Think of the breadth of the bootys you are talking about….also, do you recall that your mom said something hilarious and I nearly sprayed the windshield with hot chocolate? Someone asked me how much money they saved having friends do the driving. I said it saved them $3,000-only cost them two friends!