friends...

Most of us have friends... and most of us lean on those friends from time to time... It's one of the things that friendships are made of... it is a good thing... and often friendships become so important to us, that those friends become as close as family... It is a really nice thing that happens, sometimes...

Last evening we spent some hours having dinner and visiting with Son1 & Sweetee... no special occasion, just an evening together... It was a nice break and loads of fun... We laughed A LOT... (the men talked shop... which tends to happen when you get a nurse and a nursing student together...) we talked about houses, mutual friends, and extended family... we caught up on members of Sweetee's family which has become an extension of ours, it's really nice... we talked about a few plans on the horizon... jobs, school, food, pets, and a dozen other topics... It was so much fun...

We have done this with our other kids too... occasionally we can get most of the family in one place... but we have to take these opportunities to get together a few at a time, because we are all busy and scattered a bit right now...

I realized as we were driving home that for me, my ability and comfort in leaning on my family for support and love is growing... as our children grow and mature they are a frequent source of strength and emotional support... They are there to pray for us and we are gaining so much from that relationship... At some point children become not just family members but good friends too... What a lovely thing that is... I also recognize that not all families have these blessed opportunities or relationships...

In another time, I remember sitting with my own parents and just enjoying the moments when we were no longer just parents and children, but we could be friends too... and I wondered to myself if that day would ever come with my then young and needy children... Well, I am here to say that life comes full circle, if you are blessed to see it... For me the time has arrived that I see myself as my parents probably saw themselves and I see my children in a whole new light as the future, already arrived...

It's just plain COOL...!!!