Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Gotta have friends...




I love nothing more in life than having friends!  The fact that my kids are discovering the fine art of making friends makes my heart swell.  I am happy to report that all 3 of my kids are making friends in their new schools and are happy!  The other day we were afforded the opportunity to go on our first "play date" of the year at Turner's classmate's house.  His name is Andrew and he has a new baby sister named Aprilia.  On the way we stopped at a Farm.  The kids had a great time scampering from the big pumpkins to the small and petting the goats and sheep in the little petting zoo.  We then played at Andrew's house and ended the day with pizza out on their patio.


My kids thought this was the most fun ever!  They talk daily about it and want to do it again.  Isn't this great?  In life we are made to be relational.  We were made to be friends to people and to experience relationships.  I am so enlightened by watching my boys do just this!


It isn't until they get older that they will realize sometimes these relationship can be a bit heavy.  Some friends tend to "drag you down" or at times their burdens are "too much to bear".  This is where God comes in.  We need to cast our burdens and those of our friends to God and let him handle the heavy stuff!  I am a fixer.  I love to fix things.  I admit over the years I have become consumed when someone I care about has had problems and I wanted to fix them.  It has been through trial and error that I have learned that I am NOT God.  I can not fix my life let alone other peoples.


We CAN help, however.  Having a listening ear, offering encouraging words and being a shoulder to cry on sometimes is just the right prescription to ail a friend in need.  I am good at helping.  I have learned not to beat myself up if I can't fix it.  


I thank God for all the friends who have helped us along the way.  I cherish you all - and you know who you are.  The nice emails, cards, gifts that you give.  Timing is always perfect.  You seem to know when we need it most and are here for us.  Knowing I have people around who simply CARE is a comfort.  I have a handful of people that I know I can count on.  I do not know all of my "friends" well.  Some are new.  I look forward to getting to know them all much better!

I want this for my kids too.  I hope that I am a living example of how to be a friend and how to have friends.  We teach by example and I try hard to show my kids that giving when you have nothing to give - even a small amount of time is valuable.  Taking the time to smile, call or send an email sometimes means the world to someone.  It's the little things that count!


"Sometimes you pick your friends, sometimes they pick you." 

Thanks for picking me!
Let me know if you are up for a "play date"... :o)


xoxo 
Janean