Meghan Frank DeLuca

As promised...very late, but here is my "spotlight of the week" and it couldn't be on a better person!

Meghan Frank DeLuca was born July 15, 1978, (which makes us 13 days apart) in a Florida town to a young mother who later released her for adoption, (this story comes full circle). She spent her childhood in Boca Raton, Fla. where she resided with Gretchen, Ron and her younger brother, Matt. Meghan was strong spiritually and academically. There isn't a task she is afraid of...including chasing after her landlord, (another story for another time). Meghan is NOTHING like me I guess that is what makes our bestest friendship so unique and cool. As we all know I am abrasive, harsh, rough and a little bit of vinegar all in one. Meghan, is graceful, tender, sweet, caring, unselfish, inspirational, amazing, spiritual, mind sharpening, talented, God fearing, motherly and so much more. (Not that I don't have some of those qualities, but they are underneath the rough exterior).

As a teenager, Meghan, had a normal life. She was active in her youth group/church, community and school. Life was full of promise for her! As some teenagers do she fell for some sexual temptation and ended up pregnant at 16. A few months into her pregnancy her mom felt is was best to send her to an unwed mother's home about 15 minutes from her home. Talk about torture...to live that close to family and friends in the "God forsaken unwed mother's home". (Short insert on unwed mother's homes...THEY SHOULD ALL BE SHUT DOWN! IT IS UNBELIEVABLE IN THIS DAY AND AGE THAT THEY STILL HAVE HOMES FOR UNWED MOTHERS. IT IS SHAMEFUL, HURTFUL AND HUMILIATING FOR A PREGNANT GIRL TO LIVE THERE! IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS FACING THIS OPTIONS ENCOURAGE THE FAMILY TO KEEP THEM HOME THAT IS WHAT THE GIRL REALLY NEEDS. FAMILY TO LOVE HER!) Don't get me wrong her family would come and see her, but to not be able to go home or go to your school...one word torture. Needless to say she got a few months of peace and quiet until this angry pregnant "B.G.'s" granddaughter who listens to country music invaded the "HOME" and her room. Boy did she get a rude awakening when I arrived at the home. It took a couple of weeks for me to adjust and until I did I was a miserable pain in the rear. I didn't care who was my roommate. I took bathes that were endless, my music was on all the time, I cried/screamed/begged/pleaded with my parents every night on the phone, I acted like I was all that and when she didn't look I cried because I was scared/alone/sad/broken. This "country girl" eventually began to wear on Meg's nerves and everyone in the home. One day we had it out. I don't remember what she said or how she said it, but I am sure selfish was mentioned a few times. Somehow, through God's amazing delivery I felt safe to trust her and began to bawl! Immediately, her tender, sweet, graceful side returned and we talked everything out. From that moment on we were/are inseparable and held each other's hand during the "hell" called teenage pregnancy. That right there...the "hell"...is where a friendship was bonded/reinforced that can't/won't ever be broken. It is unique and something a lot of people don't ever get in their life, but God saw fit that we should have that blessing.

As her due date closed in I found an out of the "home" and took it. Within a week of me leaving she delivered a baby boy named Michael whom she kept. From then on we stayed in close communication. In late July I delivered a baby Girl named Victoria whom I released for adoption. There is no one else aside from me that cried harder on July 29th then Meghan. She cried, agonized, struggled and was heartbroken with me as I made my decision to release her. (Told you it would come full circle). While in the home we would stay up late talking about adoption. We also did a lot of laughing,crying and talking late at night in the home. (That was a saving grace for us). This is where Meghan for the first time got a different point of view about adoption. She realized/saw my anger, pain, struggle and love towards my child that I was considering releasing. I think for the first time she was able to see that adoption was choice done in love not out of wanting to get rid of the problem. That insight/realization has encouraged her in her search for her birth mom. From then on she has continued to cry, struggle, rejoice, laugh, love and experience life's ups and downs with me.

When I say inseparable it isn't like the inseparable you are probably thinking. Considering we live 1500 miles apart we aren't together often, far from it, but put us in the same room and it is as if we were never apart. We pick up where we left off. These bosom buddies talk, laugh, talk, laugh, talk and laugh some more. We kick out the other's husbands so we can sleep together and have the same kind of conversations that we did 14 years ago. We get child like and laugh at the simplest things, but it isn't the things I think that make us get giggly it is the fact that we are there safely together being the real us. It doesn't matter if we are doing the most mundane things...We have fun and soak up each other as much as we can!

To be honest, how pompous of me to think that I can put our friendship into words. As I sit here typing I am realizing words could never summarize our friendship. (I know that sounds so typical, but it is true). Hell doesn't even come close to the pain we both have experienced in our teen pregnancy. Ecstatic can't describe the highs we have experienced. Friendship is a poor word for our relationship it is so much more than that. Needless to say what we have as a relationship is rare, unique and impossible to describe!

Meghan, God knew what he was doing when he put me in your room that January day!Tears are rolling down my face as I type this recounting how we met and how much you mean to me and my family. You are my sister, bosom buddy, a long lost twin who feels and experiences things with me. You are an amazing person to whom I look up too, admire, love deeply, enjoy and want to be like. I have loved watching you and Glenn's relationship develop from dating to now almost 11 years of marriage. I feel so lucky to watch you mother all three of your beautiful children. I am blessed just to be apart of your life. In life you have been one of God's greatest gifts to me. I can only hope I am half the friend to you that you have been for me! I love you and look forward to the rest God has in store for our friendship!