The next best thing that is right up there with Family, is Friends.  You know . . .  those people that you have become friends with, and have similar interests, go to some of the same places, have a passion for some of the same things you do?  What makes it even better for being friends with someone, is when they are married and all four of you get to love each other as family.  That is the way it is with a couple that I mentioned yesterday.  Herman and Carol Hagen.   Herman and Pat went to the same high school together, back in the early days of education.  Carol goes to First Henderson United Methodist Church.  She likes to sing, and that is a good thing, because it would be horrible to waste a beautiful voice like hers.  Both Herman and Carol are teachers and love kids.  They have a very nice family and Pat and I have spent many afternoons celebrating one thing or another over the years. Herman is a past State Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, past Post Commander of our Post 3848 in Henderson and spent time in almost every position at Post level and District level.  When Herman was Post 3848 Commander and I was his Adjutant, keeping the records and provided the Post's monthly newsletter.  At the District 6 level, as Sr. Vice Commander, I also did the newsletter along with Herman's collaborating.  It was our joint efforts that we were awarded third place by the National level of the VFW, for our October issue commemorating September 11th .  Herman and I were a good team.

At church, Carol and I were members of the Celebration Music Team that I have talked about in an earlier post. Carol was the one that turned our music pages, because of me being a guitarist/singer, it was difficult to flip music pages.  Seems a little thing, but she really came in handy.  She could also read music and kept me where I needed to be, because I can't read music.  Strange huh?  Pat and Carol loved yard sales and spent some time scouring many a yard to find the best buys!

Friends we enjoyed. We laughed together.  We played together.  We worshipped together.  When we moved to Tennessee, and came back for a visit a couple years later, it was then that they both decided to actually join the church and we were honored to stand with them that Sunday.  That's what friends do.  Friends also drop what they are doing to help each other.  For example, some years ago now, after Saturday worship, Pat and I were on our way home.  After stopping at the red light on Boulder Highway, a four lane with median, our light changed to green.  After the turn lanes turned, it was our turn to cross. As I started to cross, Pat let out a scream, I saw a blur. The next thing I am aware of is looking out the rear window of my truck.  We had been hit by a car that had run their red light, going 45 miles an hour or so, hitting my firewall of the truck, pushing us 44 feet sideways down the highway.  Pat's foot was jammed between the floorboard and the dashboard.  I had been ripped out of my seatbelt and was straddling the center counsel.  Fortunately, a police officer was sitting at the intersection and saw the whole event.  An ambulance was called and we were taken into Las Vegas to the trauma center.  Before leaving the scene, I realized my expensive guitar was in the truck.  I called Herman and Carol and asked if they could come over to the truck and pick up my guitar and hold it for me.  I told the officer at the scene that Herman was coming for my guitar and was put in the ambulance along with Pat.  We were so lucky to have that ambulance....it had those square tires that made traveling on a hard backboard so pleasant.  We met up later that evening, at the Hospital. After the hospital created a lot of trauma for Pat and myself, I was finally released and was ok.  Pat was undergoing more tests as she was pretty bruised up...actually the whole right side of her body, from her head to her feet, was one large bruise.  As I was waiting for her release, I was visiting with Herman and Carol and realized they were pretty nicely dressed, like going out on the town or something.  They then told me it was their Wedding Anniversary and were fixing to go out when they got my call.  So, they spent their anniversary sitting in a hospital with their friends so they would have a ride home at two in the morning and gave a hand to hold.  THAT is what friendship is. That is what I hope I can be when a friend needs us.  What a blessing to have friends like the Hagen's.  I hope that you may be blessed to have a friend or two that supports you in whatever you are interested in and is there to help when you need help, just as you are there for that special friend when they need you.  That is what makes this journey so special. Hope you have someone special in your life that you call friend.

Remember, keep singing, keep praying, keep smiling.

Blessings,
Gary