Heidi

Heidi is a friend from the time when I wrote about something I was passionate about politics.  I used to write on Beliefnet under the alias Stitch 813 which kind of wasn’t much of an alias since it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out the link between stitch and hand embroidery. I visited planet  Beliefnet because I did not want to fight with my family and friends who  did not share my opinions about what was going on the world at that time and I wanted to find a place where I could express my views and not be cursed at. 

I was pretty angry at the time about all the injustices I saw in the world around me.  I was especially angry about 9/11 and the way it was being used to erode our liberties, to start wars all over the world and to divide people upon ideological lines.  Either you were a hawk or a dove.  Either you cared for the poor or you thought they should pick themselves up by the bootstraps and get over it.  Either you were red or blue, north or south, a liberal who believes in government handouts or a republican who cared about nothing accept the all mighty dollar.

And then there was Heidi and me.  Heidi was a purplish conservative and I was a purplish liberal.  We forged a friendship  that we have managed to maintain on Facebook where we talk about our lives.  I have found her to be such an exceptional friend.  She is a lovely light with 2 beautiful children and another beautiful child on the way.  She is married to a soldier and I am so thankful whenever I read that he has returned safe and secure to Heidi and their beautiful children. 

 

Heidi is a beautiful person.  I have known her for close to 8 years . She makes me laugh, she has a wicked sense of humor.  I know all about her children and what they do in school and how they have grown into beautiful, smart little people.  We talked quite a bit in friendly terms on Beliefnet but it wasn’t until we stripped away the ideology and talked about our kids and our lives that our friendship grew. And now we are Facebook friends and we never or almost never talk about politics anymore.

When I had the idea for this blog the first person I thought of was Heidi.  Our friendship personifies the thought that there is so much more that unites us then divides us and I am so thankful that our diverse thoughts on politics have given rise to a beautiful friendship.  Blessings to Heidi, her soldier husband, her two beautiful children and her little baby on the way.  It has truly been an honor to get to know you and thank you for inspiring me to look behind the differences and find the unity that exists among us all.