As schedules become more and more busy everyday, friends have a hard time coordinating time together. Debbie Rodewald of Qulin and her friends, who are now all over the world, make their get-togethers a priority.
"My friends are a hoot," Rodewald said of her group of friends who have kept in touch for more than 50 years.
Rodewald attended school in Prophetstown, Ill., a small town along the Rock River. In third grade she moved, but returned in eighth grade until the summer before junior year.
Her father worked for the Highway Patrol, so the family moved a lot, but Rodewald's friends remained.
Finishing her last two years and graduating high school from Puxico, Rodewald joked even with all her moving, she did not have to get a new class ring after leaving Prophetstown after her sophomore year.
"Both school's colors were orange and black, both were the Indians and both were PHS," she said.
No matter which school Rodewald attended or for how long, she made a group of special, lifelong friends.
Rodewald's "Forever Friends" group from Puxico make monthly visits to their friend's home to catch up and laugh together like they did as teenagers.
The "Grannies Gone Wild" group from Prophetstown make the trip "home" every so often to get together, but this past year, Rodewald's illness prevented her from traveling.
In 2009, Rodewald underwent a lumpectomy on her breast and received chemo and radiation for cancer that had also spread to her lymph nodes.
After being on the road to recovery and regular appointments, Rodewald said she started having pain in her shoulder and hip.
After an MRI, Dr. Stephen Nagy called Rodewald the day after Thanksgiving this past year and asked if he could come to her home in Qulin.
Feeling this was not a good sign of the news to come, Dr. Nagy sat Rodewald and her husband of 25 years, Tony, down and explained to them she had breast cancer metastases to the bone.
Tony retired in the midst of his wife's health issues, and along with many family members and friends, has been by her side to help with anything possible.
She was immediately put in a neck collar to stabilize her spine after receiving the news and Dr. Nagy then prayed with Debbie and Tony before leaving their home. He helped schedule a neck surgery which took place the beginning of January. A metal rod was placed from the bottom of Rodewald's head to the middle of her back.
On March 3, Rodewald then had a rod put in her leg to keep it from fracturing as well as a rod in her right arm on June 8.
"I'm not a sissy," Rodewald said when speaking about doctors shielding areas of her x-rays from her when discussing treatment options.
After the third major surgery in six months and in a wheelchair, Rodewald broke the news to her friend Laurie Goldsmith, who now lives in London, she would be unable to travel "home."
Goldsmith and the other "grannies" then began to plan and work out their schedules for a trip to Qulin.
"Some of the ladies really pulled some strings," Rodewald said regarding their work schedules.
"This [trip] just popped up out of nowhere," Sue Lanphere, who still lives in Prophetstown, said. "We all packed our bags and we were off."
According to Lanphere, thanks to Facebook, the ladies have been able to share their lives, children's lives and laugh and reminisce about "the good old days at Prophetstown High."
Rodewald's cousin, Kimberly Foriester-Brown, said all the ladies make the time to visit Rodewald because she is a special person and they all love her.
The friends carpooled and flew in together from not only London, but all over the U.S. including Texas, Georgia and Arizona.
Connie Olsen Glenn, Sue Lanphere, Karen McDaniel, Laurie Goldsmith, Brenda Bevard, Robin Titre, Sherry Moreno and Julie Dorathy all made the trip during the end of June and stayed four days in what Rodewald described as "a big slumber party."
"We all got along so well, it was true proof that you do not have to see someone everyday in order to be good friends, you just pick up where you left off," Goldsmith said, who traveled from London. "For me the experience was so heart warming I cannot find the words to describe how wonderful it was to reconnect with all the girls."
After not being home to America for 20 years, Goldsmith said she visited family in 2009 for just two quick weeks. She was able to return in 2015 to visit with family and friends from high school.
"It then turned into a small school reunion," Goldsmith said.
Since the reunion and visit went so well, Goldsmith said she decided to visit again this summer and told Rodewald "if she could not come to me, I would come to her."
During the reunion, the ladies spent a lot of time laughing, reminiscing about school days and looking through old annuals.
The ladies had dinner one evening at Big D's and Rodewald joked she was not sure if she and her lively group of friends were welcome back after all the laughs they shared.
Another day was spent at Robert's Produce buying fresh vegetables and then preparing a meal entirely of the goods purchased for dinner.
Even the road trip to Qulin will be a memorable part for the ladies.
"On the way down, my back seat drivers had me miss five turns that we will forever laugh about," Lanphere said. "Those little things are what makes the get togethers so fun."
While three nights of slumber party fun and all the ladies being in one place will hold special memories, Lanphere said the time with Rodewald, praying with her and praying for her healing will take the top spot of memories from the trip.
"Deb is very special, very beautiful and we are all blessed to have her in our lives," Lanphere said.
According to Dorathy, she will remember all the laughter. "The till you cried kind of laughter that doesn't happen too often in life," she said.
"I truly believe there was a reason we were all together," Dorathy said. "For me, Deb's faith in God shown through her daily actions provided a spiritual renewal for me. She is a very special lady."
Rodewald's mother, Norma Simpson of Wappapello, was even able to stop by and visit with her daughter's friends, who she also enjoyed seeing again.
"My mom has always been my biggest encourager," she said.
Rodewald said the ladies had a ball over the weekend and "good belly laughs."
"It was an all around great weekend," she said. "It was a spirit lifter."
According to Rodewald, the "Grannies Gone Wild" are already planning their next get together at her home.
"In 2013, we [the "Grannies Gone Wild"] lost a good friend of ours who died very suddenly while hosting her families Christmas in her home," Lanphere said. "That horrible situation woke us all up to how special we all are in each other's lives and we must hug more, tell each other we love them a little more and be together more."
With a lot of good friends, family and her faith in God, Rodewald has kept an amazing attitude through her illness.
"God has my back and a purpose for this," she said. "What good does it do to be a sad sack all the time? You have to keep a good attitude."
Rodewald went on to say she has thought about the "Footprints" poem through all this and knows God is there with her.
"I've had a lot of good friends along this journey," Rodewald said. "I'm extremely blessed and can't complain."