A couple years have passed since my dear friend Lorena passed away from cancer. Recently I connected with her next door neighbor, Debbie on FaceBook. She added me to a list to receive emails for various hikes led by her husband. Each month I received an invitation to join their scheduled hike but always seemed to have a prior activity planned on that particular Saturday morning. There was a beautiful hike scheduled for late January located in the Hollywood Hills area. My husband had a bike ride that day so I decided to embark on a journey of my own and discover some of the hidden staircases with a new group of hikers. When I arrived to the designated parking lot, I introduced myself to Debbie and her husband. We started our uphill walk through this historic Hollywood neighborhood and soon reached a lookout point. As we were catching our breath and admiring the spectacular view, I was prompted in my spirit to engage in conversation with a certain woman in our group. 

When Rosalee and I started talking, it felt so familiar to us both. We connected on so many levels that it was as if I’d known her for years! Once the hike was over, we stood in that parking lot for another hour sharing personal stories and marveling over our newfound friendship. She invited me to visit her church the following day and I accepted her kind invitation. We then met for coffee at my favorite cafe after the wonderful service and expressed our gratitude to God for bringing us together! Since Rosalee and her family recently moved here from New York, I am introducing her to other hiking spots, restaurants, and new friends. We will be celebrating her birthday next month and many more years to come.