Birth in the middle of things

I received a much-anticipated email this morning. My "longest friend" (sounds better to me than "oldest friend") had a baby girl yesterday morning, just before 5am. After two days of contractions she finally had a c-section. Lord have mercy. But momma and baby are healthy, and I am thrilled. I've known Jeannette my entire life. She is 25 whole days older than I am, and our families were next-door neighbors until we were about 4 years old. She truly is a lifetime friend and one of the people I treasure. I remember when I was about 9 or 10 years old my Grandma mentioned that she and her best friend had been friends for 55-odd years, or something like that. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be friends with someone for so long. Yet here we are, 35 years and counting. Even though it's been ages since we lived in the same state, or time zone, Jeannette is one of those amazing friends I can pick up with like no time has passed at all. We have a friendship that somehow rests on a grace bigger than either of us, keeping us connected even when keeping in touch proves illusive. Today I rejoice with my friend, and give thanks to God for the birth of Kainoa Isabelle.