What is a friend?... a friend by definition is a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.
My three year old... who I love to quote often because of the innocence, honesty and humor in her thoughts.... was hugging her older sister and looked up at me and said "Mommy, I have a sister... do you have a sister?" I smiled and tried to think of an answer that she could understand... I replied "yes Summer, I have a sister that lives with Jesus." She said "Are you sad?" I have no idea why she would have asked me that... did I look sad when I said that? ... I attempted to say it in a positive way but maybe she saw through that? "I am a little sad that I can't hug my sister like you can" I replied "but I am happy my sister gets to live with Jesus. I am happy God gave me two little girls who I get to watch be sisters and love each other, and I have other people that are like sisters to me here... God sent these people to be part of my life... they are my friends." She asked who.... and I am blessed enough in my friendships to be able to have named a handful of people... a few who she knows and she smiled when I said their names. And then she changed the subject to princesses and pink dresses but left me thinking how blessed I am to have the friends I have and how I hope my children have these same blessings from their own friendships.
The story of my sister is for another blog post at another time. And, the friends I named to my daughter don't take the place of my sister... who, looking back now, was truly my best friend. But my friends are so special. Each one of them listens to me when I need them to. Each one of them has been there for me when I called them. Each one of them has seen me through different and sometimes difficult times in my life to help pick me up and move me along.... just like a sister would.
I have no doubt in my mind that along life's path, we are destined to encounter people who redirect us.... who change our way of thinking and open our minds to new possibilities. The ones who truly care where we end up, we call our friends. To be able to name a few people who fit this description in my life, is truly a blessing.
I am watching my children grow and make friends of their own. I treat these friends of theirs like family... just like some of my close friend's families have treated me. Because I realize that when the time comes and they are out there on their own, the friends will be the ones with them through some things and not me.
Along the way, some of these friends come and go... some have even gone in an indescribably heart wrenching way... but left a profound impact on mine and my children's lives. We count each moment as a blessing now, always in the back of our minds not knowing which is the last. Some experiences, we pray we never have to experience again.
But, what I have learned through my friendships and my children's is... to never take friendship for granted... whether it is the friendship from a sibling, a neighbor or a best friend.... it is there for a reason... the two of you, of us, have a bond of mutual affection because you were meant to be in my or their life.
God sends us who we need when we need them or when they need us... even if we can only be together for a short time.
My message to my children is to be the friend my friends were and are to me.. loyal, trustworthy, respectful, giving, helping, loving, thoughtful, fun and supportive.
I love you, my friends, and pray that my children have or find friends that are much like you! (And loving my kids as much as I do, I don't think I could compliment you better than that statement
!!)
Andrea
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