Monday Musings... Friends

This is a photo from my 40th birthday celebration in January 2011. These lovely ladies treated me to an evening painting at a local business. We had a great time eating chocolate cake, drinking wine and painting. What could possibly be better?

Of course, that's me in the princess crown. To the left is Gina, to my right, Chris and Aamie. These are the three closest friends I have right now and I love them with all of my heart. I feel I can trust them with anything I tell them. I know they will love me and not judge me for who I am, quirks and all. We have been through so much together. Births of babies, deaths of loved ones, relationship situations and just the every day muck. We have also had the opportunity to share many joys together as well.  

A lot has happened in the year an a half since this celebration. Of course I found out within a month of this photo that I was pregnant with my third child. What a birthday gift! Gina had been in the process of looking for a job for almost 2 years and has since found one, joining the workforce after around a decade of being a stay at home mom. Aamie's family moved to Rio last summer and we went almost an entire year without seeing each other. She has been home for the last month and is heading back to Rio this Wednesday. :( I miss having her beautiful smile just 3 houses down. And Chris, well, this woman prayed fervently for a child in the 6 years since I had met her. Having had 2 miscarriages, she and her husband were on a quest to adopt a child at the time of this picture. In May of this year, their prayers were answered and they are the parents of a sweet baby boy. We get to raise our sons together!

This spring, I had a falling out with a person I thought was a friend. She acted like a friend and there are some wonderful things she did that I am eternally grateful for. But in the end, I learned the lesson of friends vs. acquaintances and she should have only been an acquaintance. I guess I can thank her for the lesson I hope I have learned about discernment of who true friends are and who are just acquaintances. I also was reminded of the beautiful blessings in the above photo. My true friends.

I found this quote while writing this and to me it sums up what true friendship is so well...

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey


Gina, Chris and Aamie, thank you for always being there for me. I love you all so much!

I know there are other true friends who are going to read this. Friends who are now in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, and Ohio to name a few. Friends who stood by me through a lot over the years. You know who you are. Don't ever doubt I remember, appreciate and love you too!