I've had some friends give me some good advice about dealing with the various stresses and whatnot in my life at the moment.
One recurring theme was to spend more time with people, like, not just my kids and my honey but OTHER people.
Sooooo
in the last week:
I've gone out for sushi with one of my pals. We went out to a place with little plates flying around on a belt. It was entertainment, food, and great company.
I had a friend come over at 9 PM (till about 1 AM) to eat brownies, drink wine and chitchat.
I've gone over to a friend's house for lunch and laughed with her till my cheeks ached.
The Things and I met a pal and her kids in town, between our respective errands to have cookies and a drink at a local cafe, which was fabulous.
My sushi friend came by for snacks and cocoa Friday night to counter-balance all the testosterone in the house from Thing One's friends (the party went well, and was fun for all).
Then on Sunday Mr. Logo and I stopped by our friends' house to drop of some things and ended up staying to visit for a while.
There are times when going and doing, being a social butterfly, feels like an energy drainer but right now, all those things really seemed to be charging my batteries.
My friends are awesome.
They listen, and they try to help,
and when they know there is nothing they can do to make it all better,
they give me hugs and send cards.
In Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert shares a convo with her sister. They were discussing her sister's neighbor who had been struck with multiple reality-shattering tragedies.
E. Gilbert said, "That family needs grace."
Her sister said, "That family needs casseroles!"
The author goes on to say that she wasn't sure if her sister realized that the year of dinners she arranged for her neighbors were in point of fact, grace.
According to dictionary.net grace is:
1. The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred.
I am surrounded by gracious people, most of whom don't look or act anything like the stereotypical preconception that the word gracious conjures up, and they might even object to the characterization, but they inspire me to cultivate that trait in myself.
I may never grow up but I do aspire to some of the better traits of maturity.
8 comments:
A cassarole is often the best help you can give. You are very lucky to have good friends.
it makes me very glad to read this since i am too far away to do many of those practical things. but you know you always have an ear in me.
big love and lotsa hugs.
word veri: fardits.
it made me snicker. so much for my own aspirations to maturity
heh... lime said farts
You couldn't make a more solid case for the importance of friends. They are there for you through the good and the bad. Even when teenagers decide to turn your house upside down.
Sorry to hear you feel especially stressed.
Coincidentally, we just had a friend over for her birthday. She is not a picky friend, so house cleaning was moderate, but much needed. She came after dinner, so there was no big production, but I did make our favorite hors d'oeuvres a pineapple upside down cake. She brought gifts for the kids, because she's super nice, and we had gifts for her too (of course she is super appreciative). And we watched THE INCREDIBLES and WHAT ABOUT BOB?
Couldn't have been a better evening.
I don't understand the flying around on the little belt thing. Could there be a picture of this somewhere?
weirsdo
Your time sounds good - like something you didn't know you wanted to do before you did it, but afterward you were GLAD you did it :)
What's not to like with casserole? And, you had my attention from the moment you mentioned sushi - my ultimate comfort food. Thanks for the virtual lift :)
Friends rule. And often times us ladies just need that girly time!!
family, friends, food
Some very nice words start with f...
... Did I forget any?
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