I am a highly sociable kind of person. I love having a large "selection" of friends. It's so nice to be able to text or call someone and say, "We need to get together." I have friends that I meet for daily Mass and go out for lunch with afterwards for a long, leisurely chat, friends with pools who I swim with in the summer, wise friends who give me sage advice, friends who go to bluegrass concerts with me, and enjoy microbrew beers with me, friends who regularly "swap" grandchildren photos with me, and friends who are always up for some kind of outdoor adventure. It's a sweet blessing to have so many lovely friends I can count on when I really need them.
With my closest friends, I can discuss common experiences, and even common suffering. And best of all, my friends are always ready to pray for me when I need intercessory prayer. The very best friends offer such kind, non-judgemental comfort, advice and support, which is a tangible sign of a loving friendship It's like having free counseling and a helping hand at the ready, whenever I need it!
A few blogs back, I told about a fundraiser that I went to for a ministry which supports couples experiencing a pregnancy loss. I saw SOOO MANY "old" friends who I hadn't seen in a while. It was such a joy for me to reconnect with them. One couple told me that when they saw me across the dance floor, their "eyes lit up," just from seeing me again. That comment warmed my heart. Since I didn't have a dancing partner, I joined in with one of my favorite couples, and received a big smile from the Mrs, and a kiss on the cheek by the Mr.! What beautiful friends I have, who accept me for who I am, and rejoice in silliness and playfulness.
Sometimes when I am with friends, I find myself wishing that our time together would never end, but you know what? It always does. And different groups of friends come and go, depending on our stage of life. When my kids were in school, and I was the leader of an American Heritage girls scouting group, most of my friends were the moms of my girl's friends. When I branched off into home-schooling my children, I found a really large group of friends who did the same. Then we started attending a weekly home-school co-op, and suddenly every Friday was like a "play group" for moms and students of all ages. Such a gift that was for my young daughter and I. We both developed lasting friendships with people from that group. But then, daughter graduated, and we moved on. That's when I started caregiving, so time with friends was cut back dramatically with that new phase of my life. You would think that now, with me in my 60's I'd have more and more time to hang out with friends, go duck pin bowling or kayaking with, but alas, many of my friends are still working, too. This crazy inflation that has us all staying "in the workplace" much longer, just trying to make ends meet, has got to end! As I've mentioned, I'm bailing out now, focusing on spending more time with family (and doing more writing, which I love. And I hope you're also enjoying my stories. If you do, please follow my blog to show your appreciation.
In the meantime, hubby and I are trying to squeeze in all the simple (i.e, inexpensive) pleasures we can find, and spending time with our growing family! Living "in the moment" is definitely the best way to live, especially for us lucky, retired folk!
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