So I have the most amazing friends. This is a new thing for me. I had friends growing up, and I had friends in college, but I just didn't have a lot of people whom I really let see who I was. I would hear people say how together I was or how strong I was. It made me feel like I couldn't ever be weak or vulnerable because I'd be ruining their image of me. Don't get me wrong, I still feel that way, but I have waaay more people who have seen the dirty inside :)
So back to my amazing friends! In the last few years, I've met some amazing women who, now, I would move mountains for. Most of them are people with whom I have a lot in common. These women breastfeed, love the Church, parent the same way I do, view marriage the same way I do, eat the same way we do, bake, cook, clean (well, I don't clean...they leave me (literally) in the dust on that one). We're not exactly the same and we do help each other grow and learn, but these are the people I'd feel comfortable raising my children because I think they'd form my kids the way I hope to.
And then there are friends of mine who are NOTHING like me. They're not Catholic, some not even Christians. They may or may not breastfeed. We reaalllllllly disagree on some things that are reallllllly important to me. But somehow, we have a great time together, have some very meaningful conversations and help each other grow.
Lemme tell you about a few of my friends and why they're wonderful. Considering that I have small children and a home that could be labeled a natural disaster, I can't tell you about all of my friends. The three I'm going to tell you about aren't the my "best" friends, the greatest, most fabulous, closest or anything. They're three I saw today and are on my mind because they're wonderful. I think you should know why they're wonderful....or at least why *I* think they're wonderful.
Let's start with Ronelle. She's amazing. First, she's beautiful!
Whew...I'm back....bet you didn't even know I was gone. Like I said, I have small children. While it took you less than 2 seconds to get from one sentence to the next, it took me over an hour (and an episode of World World) to get to this sentence from the last!
Ok, Beautiful Ronelle. I love going to her home. It's bright and beautiful...and full of evidence of laundry and children. She has one of those homes that still looks happy and uplifting even when there's laundry on the chair and toys on the floor. She has so much light in her living room and I think it's reflective of the light that comes from her. Her beautiful girls are often dressed alike (and they're redheads, so I'm more than a little jealous) and my girls loooove playing with all of the wooden toys!
I love her honest questions and her fearless dispensing of love. I'm sure that I say some things that drive her bonkers, but she still gives me the biggest tightest hug at the end of La Leche League and is excited to swim with me tomorrow. There's a connection between us and I miss her smile when we haven't seen each other in a while! (oh and she texts.....most of my close friends do not....it drives me crazy even though it's a good thing that simplifies their lives)
My next friend is Christina. She's a super hero. She doesn't like it when we call her by her super hero name....I don't know if she's afraid we're going to blow her cover or what. But come on! She wanted a wooden train bed for her son....so she MADE ONE!!! She didn't like the flour options she found at the store (most wheat bread has either milk or HFCS....both of which she avoids), so she MILLS HER OWN! My kid is crying, SHE picks the kid up and comforts her. I have a picture of Christina at the zoo with a kid on her back in an Ergo and holding another in front....NEITHER KID WAS HERS! She's the FIRST person to pitch in and help...usually with something beyond homemade....all the while looking cute and sporty...a look I just canNOT pull off....I can look sporty...but it's because I'm gross and sweaty....not the person you want to sit next to on the couch.
Oh, did I mention she homeschools as well....and is FINISHED with that by like 9AM?! And she has the most amazing voice! I could sit and listen to her sing for hours!
And I know she loves me and my kids and would do anything for them. She loves the Church and is constantly working to better her knowledge of our faith and grow closer to Christ. I love this woman.
Which brings me to the friend who inspired this post. My breath-taking friend, Sarah. She's the one with porcelain skin and ebony hair....and mascara applied by God. And she's modest and mild and gentle and shows me how Mommy Mary must have formed Christ as a child. There's nothing she does that isn't gentle and loving. Even when she's fiesty, she's mild.
Her home is trendy and sophisticated....again, two things that I am NOT! But she's not stuffy at all. She'll call herself a wine snob, but she's the first to find a bargain....ok, maybe the second...because I'm a bargain shopper and the most competative person on the planet.
Today, a few girlfriends came over for lunch.
**Ok, again with the life interruptions. At this point, I had a major freeze in my computer...got fed up and had to leave for small group. I'm coming back to my post only to find that neither my blog spot NOR my microsoft word saved my post....grrrr to say the least. So, I had several brilliantly written paragraphs at the end of this...but now it's 11:00 and I'm tired and uninspired. Which is ironic because this whole post is about being inspired by my beautiful friends....so I'm going to give it a go!**
So they came over for lunch. We had BLTs. I made the bread. The tomatoes (well, one, the other was from my veggie box) and lettuce were from my garden. The bacon was the only thing not home made or grown (no farm animals inside the city limits), but it was from Jungle Jims and therefore AWEsome!
At one point, Sarah turns to me and says, "You inspire me." When really, there's nothing I wouldn't do for my friends.
**P.S. Just to reiterate: These three ladies are not the only people I consider friends. If you're reading this and I didn't mention you, it's not because I don't love you...it's because I have small children and a flaky internet connection today :) Who knows. Perhaps tomorrow I'll write about how wonderful and beautiful YOU are.**
No comments:
Post a Comment