Come swing with me. What’s on your heart, pumpkin?

Ah, you have that friend?

Oh, you miss her?

I do too. There’s someone I miss deeply.

Maybe if I tell you about her, you’ll see why.

Can I tell you about my Sophie?

She’s that friend. The one you pray for in school, the kind you hope to grow old with. The best friend who supports you no matter what. The one who holds silence like a sacred bond. She can sit beside you while you cry, without hesitation or awkwardness, without any desire to fill the space. She respects the quiet. She honors the sobs. And those silent prayers rising from your heart? She’s the kind of friend who sends them up with you, to the One who hears them all.

That’s Sophie.

She doesn’t hesitate. She stands firm with affirmations, gently holding the hard-to-love pieces of my life. She never regrets coming to my side, never tires of asking how I’m doing. She’s always ready to receive whatever I need to set down, meeting me with gentleness and understanding. She’s wise beyond her years.

If I think back, I can’t recall the moment we met. I don’t know where we were or what we were doing. I just remember her being there one day.

It’s an odd but beautiful feeling, to feel so connected to someone so quickly.

It was like finally seeing a waterfall after a lifetime of hearing it described. The sound, the mist, the awe. When you see it for yourself, it all just makes sense. That’s what meeting Sophie was like. I remember life before her, and I remember life after her. But the moment we met? That part feels like it just quietly… happened.

What’s most curious is that I never had to ask her to be a good friend. She showed up. She called. She asked. She simply was.

And over time, I came to see, she’s the only friend who’s left such a mark on my soul.

She listens. She encourages. She questions. She challenges.

But I’ve never felt like her challenges were about comparison or competition. Sophie lives by the belief that you only need to compete with yourself, to grow and stretch and become more whole. She keeps me accountable. She seeks relationships with depth and intention. And when she asks for your opinion, it’s not out of politeness. She truly wants to know what you think.

She speaks my heart language.

If I’ve learned anything from her, it’s how to ask questions. But asking is only the beginning. Listening to understand, that’s the most meaningful part. Sophie asks questions that are clarifying, purposeful, and kind. Her love arrives at your doorstep in questions. Not to pry, but to see you. To hold space. To understand.

How are you?

How are you feeling?

How can I pray for you?

When can we talk?

How does that make you feel?

What’s making you anxious today?

What was the best part of your day?

What did you learn today that struck you?

She doesn’t offer answers unless asked.

She listens. She hears. She truly seeks to understand. It’s her God-given gift, her superpower, if you will.

When life is hard, I know I can trust her to listen.

When my thoughts are a tangle, she listens.

She may not sort it all out for me, but that’s not her role.

She’s the tallest sunflower in the field, 

pointing to the sun and reflecting its light.

I couldn’t ask for a better friend… only that we lived closer.

What I wouldn’t give to make a pot of coffee and have her sit on my porch with me. Swinging. Just swinging.

I miss her.

Every day, I miss her.

Take some flowers for your table. Maybe Forget-Me-Nots, to remind you of the friends who never fade, no matter the distance.