An early morning alarm (5 am, to be exact), and pre-dawn trip to the airport, a tight squeeze at the terminal… and she is gone.
All I could think when I got home was how thankful I was that Jameson fell back asleep for an hour — and so did I.
But when I’d gotten up, showered, and Ryan left for work? Then all I could think is, I don’t want to be here alone. I want her back.
Now, though, the baby is napping, and I have washed the bathroom (when the whole house needs help, I always start there), cleaned the kitchen, worked on organizing our inbox system, and scrounged up a bit of a bouquet from my garden. Ah. I feel better. (If you’re like me, you know there’s not much that a few hours of hard productive work can’t fix!)
Lore’s visit made me remember, once again, how blessed I am by the two girls (who aren’t related by blood) I call best friends. There were plenty of years when all I wanted was a kindred spirit sort, but they’re hard to come by. On purpose, my mom would tell me. Keep your standards high. Keep watch over your heart, and that means keeping watch over who are your close friends. Invest in your family, invest in your relationship with the Lord. If He doesn’t give you a best friend, then embrace a season where He is your best friend. Better to be lonely than to be brought down by a compromising relationship.
I guess a girl with so many sisters should feel that she has best friends enough, and I did — and then I got two more.
Two girls whose hearts are tender to the Lord in a way that softens my own fallow ground. Girls who serve the Church with abandon, who gladly give up sleep, hobbies, money, and personal space if it means one more person feels the love of Jesus through them. Girls who are hungry, oh so hungry, for more of the Lord, whose lives clearly say, “Show me Your way!” The grace, mercy, love, and zeal for righteousness that they consistently display is for me iron that sharpens.
And oh, how deeply grateful I am. How many can point to not just one, but two people and say, “These are my friends. They’re like Jesus.”
And besides all that, it nice to know that I’ll have at least two people outside my family who will happily look at more pictures of Jameson.
Tried calling since I thought this might be a hard day in many ways. Saying good-by to a cherished friend and visit is not easy. Now we are off to Clarkson for a family concert, minus some. :( Miss you.
The weekend should fly by with impact concerts tomorrow and Saturday, then college dinner here after church. I can’t even imagine how many to prepare for! Will think that through tomorrow. Do you suppose your friend can be borrowed by me for help with such a thing? :)
Love you…
i am hoping these late nights are just a stage and not a habit…I am beginning to wonder if I should start him on the schedule of MY choosing rather than let him handle it. Now he also wants to sleep in bed with us, which I don’t mind for a few hours, but it gets mighty tight in that bed and I end up on the very edge, very uncomfortable most of the night. His eyes spring open and a smile lights of his face the moment I lay him in his own bed, “Oh this game! you lay me down here for a minute, I fuss, and then I get to sleep in the big warm bed!” What a guy.
Have you found a church yet?
I was looking at some of your photos (of Jameson) the other day with Alistair on my lap and he started laughing and laughing. I guess he liked the looks of that baby in the photos.
she misses you-all too.
tremendously.
thanks for returning her in good condition.
love you!
what am i? a package?
i prefer to think of you as a bundle. he he.
not a bundle. a potato. (remember? ;))
p.s. SPUD!
oh my goodness. stop now.
i got ry’s link to the “basest” message and i’ll listen, i promise, when i get uninterrupted minutes and thought space.
ha ha… SPUD! :)
that makes me giggle
thinking about the word giggle makes me giggle. weird :)
Today we had the pleasure of having Gabriel and Merrick over to play after the college picnic. On the way to my house Gabriel said, “My Danica doesn’t live in Madrid any more-she now lives in “Calidornya.”
I thought that would put a smile on your face!
Love you!
Jude