This past Saturday I met up with some girlfriends for a tea party, it was a special occasion. I know I never go far without our kids… hardly ever, I like our kids and I know my time with them is fleeting. But celebrating the everyday and the big events is part of being a friend and I am all for it. Turns out that when a couple of gals get together time literally flies and seriously time flew. A couple of hours raced by amidst talk of kids and life and memories made and the roads we intend to travel.
I have to say it was lovely. I have been friends with these folk for years and years, certainly since before we had kids… so more than fifteen years ago. That’s a while to be friends with anybody. Friends are enduring. I have friends from all sorts of little corners of my life, trailing along and weaving themselves into my world.
The nature of our world and global living means that we get separated from our friends by vast distances and time… I know I can rest in the knowledge that when we are together again it will be as if we were never parted… I haven’t even met a few of my best friends in real life, but I consider them close to my heart and I would rustle up a lasagna for any of them at a moments notice.
Friends are about the details, indeed the glitter on the rose petals. Different friends from different areas of our lives see different sides of us, and I am guessing that that is what is partly why they are so special. I love meeting up with my best friend from primary school, in fact we met in kindergarden… Time together brings back happy memories of reading books, playing Monopoly, not to mention spitting watermelon seeds.
Good friends respect each other, trust each other and rely on each other. Good friends are those who will stand by you… no matter what. Good friends pray for each other… And good friends hang out with each other. Not to mention good friends are fabulous at chatting for hours and those same friends know when to be quiet and just sit alongside you for hours.
I love my friends but I am not always very good at demonstrating it. And I am shocking at keeping in touch. I write inconsistently, I often forget birthdays and I just about never ever call… I am always amused at articles on how to hang on to your friends, how to be a best friend: send cards, buy treats, take them out for coffee. Not that there is anything wrong with spoiling your friends… nothing at all!!! Just that the The great thing about best friends is that we don’t have to dig deeper, we don’t have to try harder, we don’t have to always get it right… the perfect gift does not make a friendship…
I do love being there for my friends, I love that our home is open and friends can pop in, I love being available to lend an ear, and I really love the little details of friends: remembering their favorite movie and their best chocolate really do count for a whole lot. And I am so glad that my friends are so good at keeping up with me and remember to write and call and generally keep in touch. I know if I met up with these girls again, fifteen years from now, we would just be able to carry on chatting as of no time had passed. That’s friends.
Lovely post. And such lovely pics (so mouthwatering)
I agree – the beauty of a real friendship is that it is effortless (and it’s depth can definitely not be measured merely by gifts, but by enduring loyalty and trust etc).
Thanks for this reminder. I am awful at keeping contact with friends. But if you (a devoted mother of 8) can maintain contact with your friends , I have absolutely no excuse for not doing so too, lol.
Hi Zubeida!!! I am catching up with two friends today – it is my new effort!!! ANd yes what a fantastic outing it was… deliciousness and fine coffee abounded!!! Hope you have a great weekend!!!
such a lovely post…I read it word for word (instead of the usual scanning I do when I read)…you had my attention! I think it’s because I know just what you mean. I am blessed to have beautiful girlfriends in my life (yes, even a best friend I have never met :)) and my heart swells at the thought of these special ladies. mmm such a lovely post – thanks for sharing 🙂
Love and lollipops… Thank you so much for your lovely comment!!! I am so glad you read all the words!!! Friends are indeed a treasure and I think sometimes I need to pay a lot more attention to those who will stand by through thick and thin!!! I hope you have a fabulous week!!!
All that delicious food was delicious hey?! Yum yum. It was lovely to chat irl again. 🙂 I so identify with being grateful for friendships that pick up where we left off. Being busy as we are with kids, homeschooling etc, it’s not always easy to maintain friendships at high intensity levels. I so appreciate the friends who show grace in this area. At the same time, I hope I get better at maintaining friendships too!
Hay Taryn, Wasn’t it great to stop and chat in a place where all chores were out of reach!!! Hope you have a fun weekend with your family!!!