Pals

Life is rich because of our friends.

This is Finn, Mimi, Bode and Aidan in our living room a few weeks back. 

There have been stages of our life when I've been terribly lonely and longed for friends to chat with, be real with and do motherhood alongside. 

And with that longing in mind, I'm beyond grateful for the season of friendship that God's blessed us with right now. We're literally surrounded by the greatest, most loving, fun people, pouring in from every window...(but if you're in the season of longing, I don't want that to make you sad. It will come...it all comes in seasons for whatever reason God intends). It's because of the dry times that this time full of great relationships is so sweet.  I've always thought that the best analogy for friends are that they are the "cushions" of life. I feel as cozy and safe surrounded by them all like you do when you're a kid in a big pillow fort. When we fall, they they are to soften the blow, or even push us back up.

Thank you Lord for this season. 

(late addition...I've just continuing thinking about this subject after I wrote this. First, I definitely didn't want it to sound too much like "I have SOOO many friends. I'm SOOO popular!" like the Hillshire Farms commercial where the mom goes, "We're pretty!" But blogging goes best if you don't put too much through a filter, trying to edit too much.

Second, new friendships scare me. I have anxieties about it. "What if I don't call enough, say something that offends them, they criticize my parenting (in their head), ...etc.. Basically to sum it up, what if it gets MESSY? Life and relationships definitely are. I think this is what kept me on the sidelines of many things (and relationships) most of my life. But somewhere along the line I learned that much like the Paul McCartney song (or Chris Farley skit, depending on your generation) "you get what you give." If I wanted people alongside me to do life together, then I needed to a) answer the phone/and or pick up the phone when it may not be the most convenient (let's face it, when you're a mom it's NEVER convenient), b) make plans with people and keep them, c) offer to watch people's children and just BE there. And d) be real. With the good, the bad and the ugly. So there you have it. I'm learning along the way (and wishing I could bottle up all of these people and experiences we're surrounded with for when the dry spell comes. Because there's always seasons).

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