Wow, Marcy is another person I know more from non-journal places, though she does, in fact, keep a very cool journal. But I can tell you why she rocks in two words: loyalty and kind-heartedness.

Marcy and I met several years ago, when she was Pagan. We met through The Fire Spiral, which at that time, also had an email list/study group component, and Marcy was a great addition -- smart, thoughtful and involved. We grew to know each other well and bonded over the shared experience of motherhood and spirituality. The first time I got a taste of Marcy's kind heart was when Jasmine first went in to be evaluated for a transplant. Her initial evaluation happened in LA -- at the UCLA Children's Hospital. Marcy, who lived nearby at the time, offered to meet with us and show us around, but we weren't able to meet at that time. Still, her support was unflagging, and she never failed to ask about Jasmine when we wrote to each other.

Not too long after that, Marcy had some life explosions that led to her return to Christianity. For some people with a relationship like ours, that might have been the end of the line. Not because of animosity, per se, but because sometimes the shared spirituality is the true glue of some internet friendships I've had. In our case, the specifics of the spiritual connection aren't as important -- it's the connection itself that matters. Marcy was willing to talk about her own conversion without seeming to feel the need to instigate a conversion in her friends -- something I find to be rare and precious. I appreciated her willingness to share, even if I didn't always share the same experiences she did.

Marcy's next expression of loyalty and kindness came on the heels of a particularly painful time I was having with another friend. She was fierce on my behalf, loving and supportive, and it was at this time that we were finally able to meet. I was fortunate enough to meet not just Marcy, but also her oldest (and at the time, only) son and the man who would become her husband. I have this sense that we have known each other before and I felt absolutely at home with her. Unfortunately, we left Arizona at that time and didn't correspond much for the next few years.

When Jasmine had her transplant, I sent Marcy an email letting her know it had finally happened. Even though we hadn't spoken a lot in the prior two years, she wrote me right back and we started catching up. Our pregnancies almost overlapped (she now has a second beautiful boy) and we again bonded. When Jasmine died, Marcy was one of the first to respond, following my journal closely and sending a beautiful bouquet to the church for her memorial. As with many of my other friends, we became closer after Jasmine died, another gift of her passing.

Marcy is more than this, of course. She's also a great fantasy writer (be sure to visit her blog -- lots of links to her writing there), published, which inspires me. She's super smart, very funny and one of the people I'm most glad to have on my side. And the coolest thing is that she'll be moving to my neck of the woods in a few months! Woot! So I'll even be able to add her to my cast page...

And all of this (and more) is why my friend Marcy rocketh.

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