“Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other gold.”
I am blessed beyond belief with friendships. My oldest friendships are from childhood and my newest are from this past year. I have friends that are single, engaged, married, friends with 4 children, and everything in between. Some friends I see almost daily, some I catch up on the phone with a few times a year. But regardless of time or distance or stage of life, my friendships continually bless me. And friendships can look different when you have kids, because life is different with kids. I have some pretty incredible women in my life that love me so well in this season of motherhood. I am grateful for each and every one of you.
I just wanted to share how grateful I am for just SOME of the ways my friends…
- Call to chat, even though Ella whines or babbles through our whole conversation, making it difficult to hear and speak uninterrupted.
- Babysit Ella so that I can tutor and make extra money without having to pay for a babysitter.
- Invite me over to have wine while the kids play or feed our children together, just to make that last hour before the dads get home go by faster.
- Come to my house so that Ella can nap or play, while we try to catch up in between baby interruptions.
- Continually invite me to park dates to have a reason to leave the house some days.
- Invite us to their house for dinner, giving me a break from cooking and cleaning for a night.
- Include me in kid-free activities, in hopes that I can make it and get a girls night out.
- Ask me the hard questions, challenge me, and remind me that I am more than just a mother.
- Love my daughter like their own and do anything for her.
- Flatter me and let me gush about the new and silly things happening in motherhood.
- Pass on clothes, toys, baby items, advice to me.
- Challenge me to have time away from my daughter, even when it’s hard, but so good for me.
- Send spontaneous gifts to Ella, though we haven’t seen or really spoken to each other in years!
The list could go on and on. It is a great reminder to be that friend to others as well. One that just simply meets you where you are…whether it’s at soccer practice, in the kitchen, at the restaurant next to work, or a quick phone call on the way to the grocery store. Those little things bless others and they really are quite easy to do.
So thank you, dear friends, for showing me that sometimes the smallest gestures make the biggest impressions–and sometimes make an ordinary day quite extraordinary.
Fields of Love 