This week, I realized I am once again late to the party - the Friendsgiving party. It seems this festivity has been rapidly gaining popularity in our culture, and although I was initially among those so-called skeptics who surmised this was one more opportunity to remove God from the season, I soon came to realize it can easily be considered an extension of Thanksgiving. Friends are such a valuable and necessary part of life, and the gift of friendship is a rich blessing to treasure and offer up gratitude for. "Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other is gold." For many years, a picture with these words hung on the wall, welcoming friends to our home. I'm not sure who authored this quote, but it's long been a favorite. Opportunities for friendship have Continue Reading
Shedding the Wallflower – Made to Brave Sisterhood
When I tell my children of my shyness and how painfully unsure of myself I was during my childhood and early adult years, they question if I am being truthful. The story sounds made up, to them. But it is true. I spent most of my first twenty-some years quietly looking around, unsure of myself and the world. I preferred to watch people, instead of participate; listen to people, instead of talk. I tried to avoid situations where I needed to talk in front of others and where I felt under the spotlight. I hated being asked something I wasn’t sure of. When asked a question, my mind usually went blank, then churned like a slot machine circling madly to land on the correct answer. Didn’t all questions have a right and wrong answer? I was terribly afraid of choosing the wrong one. With Continue Reading
5 Questions to Answer When Friends Disappoint
It's crazy how life is. Or, let’s be honest…how I am. It was one of the happiest times of my life as we welcomed our healthy newborn baby boy. There was so much to celebrate, yet something was missing… Oh, how precious were the days of building our family! Friends helped friends as they expanded their families – anticipating babies to be born, adjusting to new little ones. Sweet hugs and kisses, sleepless nights, temper tantrums, the whole package! Those times were exhausting but priceless! Bonding with friends was easy – for my husband and myself, as we had so much in common with those around us. Friends laughed and cried together, shared stories of exhaustion and exhilaration together. Those were the days that lifetime friends were made. By the time our second son was born, Continue Reading