I figured it was about time I wrote a blog post about the guy everyone has come to know through my numerous postings on Facebook. That guy is Jon.
I met Jonny when I was 7 years old. 34 years later here we are.
I moved across the street from Jonny and we quickly became best friends, spending every free waking moment together. If I wasn't in school or sleeping, you could probably find me with him. We were both raised as only children by single moms. We both had other siblings but didn't see them much at all, hence the "only child" thing.
Jon always wanted to be in the Army. He wore camouflage everything! He drove me nuts with his constant talk about the Army.
Jonny and I rode bikes, swam at the local pool, ran around the neighborhood, played in the mud, built forts in my back yard, played in his basement, recorded "radio shows" on his cassette player, went to the movies, went out to eat (by ourselves mind you, haha, all grown up), went trick or treating, etc etc. Ok, that's just a short list of the things we did together. You get the idea.
We made a decision to follow Christ on the same day and were baptized after one another. If I remember correctly, I was dunked right before he was. :) We took our first communion together.
We went to church camp together and, in about my 11th year of life.....that's when I got my first kiss. Yeah, that was Jonny Humphrey too. I'll never forget we were just talking and then SMACK, he planted one on me! Ok.....seriously, I looked at him, started crying and ran straight to my cabin. I plopped on my bed and bawled my eyes out. A friend came in and asked what was wrong and all I could say was "WHY DID MY BEST FRIEND JUST KISS ME"? LOL Jon was so upset that he had made me cry. He apologized for kissing me, but honestly friends......I have to say I'm glad it was him now that I look back on it. I mean seriously, it could've been some creep, but instead it was my best friend. Yeah, well that sounds creepier than it actually is. ROFL!
A short time later I moved about 5 hrs away. *sigh* That was rough. Had to make a new life with new friends and none were like Jon. We kept in touch by writing letters. Yep, that was the 80's so there was no texting or email. I loved my letters from my buddy.
Another few years later and I moved back to my home town. We did the unthinkable.....we "dated". Yeah, I think it lasted a whole few weeks. That just wasn't "us". I moved yet again during Senior year in high school. Not knowing people all that well, Senior Prom was coming up and I hadn't been asked. My first thought went to my buddy.....I called him up and he said of course he would drive down and take me to my prom. He wore a pink tie even though pink wasn't his "thing"......but he did it for me. :)
When I found myself pregnant with my first child and alone after her father had left me.......Jon called me every week to check up on me. He was going through his AIT training with the Army and was stationed in North Carolina at the time. I will never forget those calls. Sometimes all that kept me going through that really lonely and scary time was hearing his voice on the phone.
Shortly after the birth of my first child, life set in......Jon was busy with his Army career and I was married with a child. We ended up drifting apart for quite a few years, but never were far from each others hearts. I thought of Jon often and I told my children about my best friend.
My first husband didn't want me to have a friendship with Jon, so I didn't. I was honoring his wishes. Jon married and had the same situation with a wife that didn't want him to have a friendship with me either. I guess that's uncomfortable for some people and I respect that. It was hard, I won't kid you. My heart always longed to have my BROTHER in my life. That's what he truly was to me.
SO, fast forward to 2011. I had been married to my WONDERFUL Greg for 18 years. He knew all about Jon and fully accepted him as my brother. He knew how important that relationship had always been to me. I swear......there is no other man like my husband. He's a gem among gems. Anyway.....I get an email from Jon......it just said, Hey Steph, are you there?
That was the beginning of the renewing of a strong friendship that had begun so long ago. Jon was on his last deployment and in Afghanistan. He needed some family and friendship......and he knew in his heart that I would be there for him.
So what can I really say.......that's a really condensed version. Not a lot of people understand this relationship. I've been told by some that it's wrong because men and women shouldn't be that close when they're not married to each other. I used to let that bother me. No one would say a thing if he and I had the same parents, now would they, if we were biologically brother and sister? hmmm, I think not. But then I have my husband Greg.......who holds me when I cry because I'm scared for Jon's life when he's deployed. Seriously.......who does that? Yeah, Greg does. Because he knows.....he knows the integral part that Jon played in my life. He knows that without Jon's friendship and bond that I wouldn't be the person I am today. He knows that I need my brother. So, I've pretty much decided no one else has an opinion that matters. That's the last time I'm going to defend my position on that matter!
So yeah, he's a pretty special guy.....that brother of mine. I'm so proud of the man he's grown into. The wanna-be Army kid who grew up to be the Army man. He's fought and served our country for almost 24 years and I couldn't be prouder.
After picking him up from his deployment today, I cried a few tears, yeah, no surprise. I also thanked God for bringing Jon back into my life......for GOOD this time. My God is so good to me.
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