The weekend was a busy one. Garage sales in the neighborhood helped mama score awesome bikes for the girls and a million bucks worth of Legos for the boy. A neighbor joined us for dinner Saturday, old friends came to visit on Sunday, and our time tonight with new friends was short but sweet (made all the more sweeter by heaping dollops of ice cream atop berry brumble). Looking forward to a more lazy and leisurely week...
They moved into the neighborhood only a couple of months ago. Days later they moved into our lives and hearts as playmates and friends. The first time we chatted I knew that this family was going to be a Godsend. A future babysitter (in a few months time), a same-age friend, and a Boy to provide our son an escape from the estrogen saturated environment that is his world. Oh, and the mom and dad are pretty cool too! Mom W. first approached me about doing an anniversary picture of her and Pops W. but soon the whole family joined, plus the family dog. Fall had already begun it's abrupt exit from our lives so the background colors were scarce. But while our scenery lacked in beauty, this family more than compensated with their winsome smiles and jovial interaction. They offered to pay me (?!) but I just couldn't accept as I'm just a girl obsessed with her camera and not a {real} photograhper. But you would've been hard pressed to convince me after bringing in my first (charitable) paycheck of two loonies. Thank you, clients. Thank you, neighbors! You made me feel like the {real} deal!
Each mile that sped past brought me that much closer to my past. Back to the place I called home for almost two years to attend university. Back to the place where all my plans were stripped away. Back to the place where God surprised me with His grace. Back to the place where I first began my relationship with my future husband.
As we entered this small university town, familiar landmarks brought back a rush of memories. Some difficult but mostly wonderful, memories of my first experience of independence and being away from home. Plans had been made weeks ago to meet up with my roommates from those days long past.
I had deliberated for days about what to wear. After years apart I wanted my old school chums to see the woman I had blossomed to be. The right outfit would say fulfilled familykeeper yet modern mom. Mature woman but with youthful energy. Silly me, I should have known better.
In the end, it didn’t matter what I wore. What mattered was the warm welcome I received when I first crossed into the home of my good friend. What mattered was that when I hugged them, they hugged back. What mattered was that our conversation picked up right where we had left off. Sharing laughs as we poured over pictures of those long ago days, smiling as we looked into the faces of the others, and enjoying the precious blessing of true friendship. Years ago we had shared rooms and clothes, met up for late night study and pizza, and used weekends for dinner and a movie or a road trip to see other friends. Today we shared stories of our children, our homes, and our lives as they are now.
Not much has changed. They still giggled at the memory of me showering in the dark, my preference for a few moments of peace and relaxation. While waiting for our last roommate to join us, we reminisced on how she has always been the last one ready, the last one out the door. Even though today’s tardiness was due to circumstances out of her control, it felt familiar and comforting to know she would still be late. With the exception of a few more laugh lines around our eyes and a few shorter, more updated hairdos, we still look pretty much the same.
And yet, so much has changed. Gone are the days of student poverty. Two hold masters’ degrees and a third is almost done with hers. One teaches chemistry at a local college and one will soon begin a new job in a new home far away from where she grew up. Two of us have left our home countries for a new beginning in a foreign land. We live in homes, apartments, and condos with new roomies or on our own. Our views on our faith, our politics, and personal convictions have changed dramatically.
But the things that matter most have stayed constant. Our love for our families, our love for our God, and our love for each other. Ours is a friendship built on all that we shared as we were first spreading our wings as women. Ours is a friendship built on respect and appreciation for having had each other to lean on, to laugh with, to celebrate with and to encourage. Today we admire and respect each other for what each has become. I stand in awe at the faithfulness of God in each of their lives and am honored to count such gifted and beautiful women among my closest friends.
I knew from the start that we would have precious little time. What I didn’t expect was that we could squeeze such a precious, little time into the span of just a few hours. Thank you Jo, Edhy, and Sarah for allowing me to steal a few moments from the past and enjoy the company of such treasured friends.
Giggling with wild abandon over a buffet of decadent desserts and girl talk: $9
White jeans worn without anxiety of sticky fingers leaving their tiny prints: $20
Clip for an updo that will for once not get ripped out by the baby's curious grasp: $7
Tip for server waiting on my every need without the distraction of mopping up 3 spilled milks: $3
Gas for a late night just-over-the-speedlimit cruise in a carseat-free car:$6
Wildflowers and a note of encouragement from a dear friend: $0
Forgetting for just a few hours that you're supposed to be 'all grown up': priceless!
*note of encouragement from friend: Motherhood is a life of sacrifice lived in the service of love. ...the most irreplaceable, essential, powerful, life-impacting role imaginable is being a mother. ~S. Eldridge
Our old friend Beth brought along our new friend Joanna for a weekend visit last week. What fun was had by all! I am hooked on Indian movies at the moment and wanted to offer this cultural experience to our friends. We all watched Kal Hoon Na Ho and yes, we all cried our eyes out...with the exception of Beth! The young 'uns were so inspired by the fashion and beauty of another land that they wanted to dress up in saris. I know, how silly right?! Grown women playing dress-up!
Striking our best pose!
So demure and almost passing for Indian!
Of course, the kids wanted to get in on all the fun so here we are in our best poised and polished Indian royalty look!
The royal kidlings!
The next day we set out to do more 'normal' and 'adult' site seeing :O)
In front of Parliament and schmoozing the local men!
On guard...some as kung fu ninjas and others as proper soldiers.
Some adorable local children...I am so in love!
Like father, like daughter everyone says!
Finally, construction is finished on the Parliament library. Gorgeous!
