everybody get your roll on

I am sitting in Starbucks in Abilene right now, and I just got done talking on the phone to one of my very good friends from high school. She called to tell me that she went to the outlet malls where she lives now and it made her think of me.

You see, we had this tradition that we would to the outlet malls in Sikeston, MO and shop all day before gorging ourselves on hot rolls at Lambert’s Café. Lambert’s is one of those places that everybody who is anybody knows about when you are growing up. It is the home of the “thrown roll”. They walk around distributing sides and rolls while you wait for your food, and apparently, somebody back in the day was too hungry to wait for the guy with the rolls to get to him, so he made the waiter throw the roll. A tradition was born. Now the will launch hot rolls at you from across the restaurant, so you better be paying attention. The food is good, but you go for the experience of having a hot, buttery object launched with force toward your head.

I think memories like that are what make friendship so special. There is something special about being reminded of someone when you are walking down the street or sitting in Starbucks.

I am very blessed to have wonderful friends throughout the many stages of my life. I did not think that I could find friends like the ones I had in high school. Then I got to Harding and met wonderful people like Adam, Renee, and Audrey. Abilene introduced me to some more wonderful people, one of whom I am sitting at Starbucks with. God has not disappointed with the plethora of wonderful people that have been brought into my life in Fairfax.

The next time you are reminded of an old friend (or new friend for that matter), I encourage you to call them or send them a note. Let them know that they are in your thoughts and that they are special to you.