More than just a soccer season friend

Meet my beautiful friend, Mara.

Mara and I met on a bench on a soccer field when our sons were about four or five years old, I think. She's from Guatemala, and her husband is from Nicaragua, and I was one of only a few white moms from the soccer team. I sat quietly on the bleachers, and we now make it a joke that I was listening in to their conversations in Spanish almost like a spy because they had no idea I knew Spanish. Honestly, we talked very little until we happened to run into each other while visiting a new campus at church close to both of our homes. We all went out to eat together after the service, and then continued going out to eat almost every week, talking late into the afternoons. We connected deeply, our boys hit it off and became wonderful friends, as did our husbands. Our long Sunday lunches out many times turned into all day gatherings as we continued fellowshipping over coffee and games in one of our homes. They walked closely with us through our entire first adoption process, and she even talked to Laura on the phone once! When we finally adopted Juan, then we both had two children the same age, so the connection multiplied. 

We cheered our hearts out at the soccer fields as we watched our little boys grow up together. We walked together, shopped together, played games together, watched our husbands co-coach the boys' soccer team together, went to church together, studied the Bible together, and most importantly, we drank coffee together. I say most importantly because, well, some of the deepest and most vulnerable conversations happen over a cup of coffee (or a mug with a hot drink). In addition to all the fun moments we shared together, we stood by each other through some pretty dark times of loss in both of our lives and prayed each other through. 

She's the friend that stands out in all my soccer Mom memories, but she was/is/will always be so much more than just a fellow soccer Mom friend. I'm eternally grateful to know her and still meet up for coffee when I'm in town.