A new friend

 I met Lorlei the first week of our new ward.  She expressed to me how she is lonely and would love friends.  She lives with her daughter and son in law with their six soon to be seven children and she has lived with them moving around with them for the last six years.  She cannot afford to live on her own.  So a few weeks ago we went to lunch and she told me some of her story.  She has had a really hard life.  Some to do with the choices she made in men.  She has four children and the youngest 3 have the same dad.  Even though all three men were members and she was married in the temple to a couple of them, they were not good men and she said her children have paid the price for the choices in those men.  So I am not sure if her girls were abused or what exactly. She said she has a hard time forgiving herself for those choices as she sees the impact that is still happening.  We put her in a ministering pod of ladies her age and they have already met twice. Once for lunch and once at one of their pools.  She said she has loved it and she is so happy to be making friends.  

I picked her up today and we drove to Rogers to go to a little cute furniture/decor store and then we went for lunch and talked some more.  I know that they will be moving as the house they are renting will be up in September but she is not sure where.  They are looking for a house on a few acres either here in Texas or Utah.  She is really hoping for Utah since her siblings and two of her children live there.    They are really good to let her stay with them, but it sounds like they are not super close as mom and daughter and I am sure there is the history that is there. 

She is fun to talk to and easy to talk to so we have good time.  I hope that where she moves she can continue to make friends that will add to her life.  I hate that people feel lonely even surrounded by family sometimes.  It just reminds me that I need to look and pray to see those who could use some extra attention.