Tag Archives: friendship

Family, Flexibility, Jesus Christ

Be Waiting for Friends

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I have asked God to help me with new friends in our big city. I feel tired!

I have been very fortunate to have made very empathetic, thoughtful friends in our old town down the highway. Many have visited, most keep in touch. This is enough. I am blessed with friends.

I am happy to drop my son off and observe those around me. Normally, I am the one trying to connect and engage with others.

I am content to allow my son’s teacher to connect with him without my input or guidance or even an introduction. I will meet her at parent-teacher conferences in October.

I am okay with walking along and watching my beautiful boys beside me.

But this is not the end of my story.

Two Fridays ago, I took the boys to the library. There was a woman there with two boys. Her youngest son was hanging around my boys. We had a brief conversation.

At dinner (the same day!), I told my husband that I met a very interesting woman this morning at the library.

After dinner, we went for a bike ride downtown (see here) and who did we run into on the ride back? The woman from the library, Andie. We met her husband and saw her boys again.

Last night, we went for a walk in the rain. We were walking down the path in the downpour and there was a woman walking towards us. I didn’t recognize here, but she said, “Hi Joanna!” It was Andie without her glasses on.

I wonder where we will meet again.

God is so good. It was amazing to see a familiar face.

Side note: I made a joke awhile back with my friend “D” that any new friends I meet will have to have wet hair. I know funny, but I am just into real people that walk in the rain and don’t worry about getting their hair wet.

Haha God. You truly are omniscient.

Christianity, Flexibility

Be Quiet Together

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I am the kind of girl that is a tad bit loud to go along with my six foot frame.   Quiet time is not my strength, but it is becoming my strength.

As I journey through this year of blogging, and now moving, I am realizing that it is the quiet moments that I have with friends that are the most memorable and moving.

As a goodbye to a wonderful home, amazing neighbours and friends, I decided to host a yoga class in my empty house.   A wonderful “warrior” woman shared her gift of teaching, gift of yoga and gift of space and peace with us.

Here was my intention for the evening:

My hope is that this evening is a restful time for you and a celebration of all our new beginnings – large and small, chosen and not chosen, beautiful new beginnings. 

I pray with all my heart that you will always know love and grace, the love that allows your kids to run into your car on their bike and allows you the freedom to run over theirs.  Grace and love the surpasses all understanding. 

I pray that you know peace, peace of yoga, peace of skiing, paddling, time spent in Gods country, peace of being with people you love.

I pray that you always know pure joy.  Joy of eating together, reading together, Circle Park soccering together, wine drinking and laughing together.

I pray that you know your neighbours – incredibly caring, giving, loving, gracious neighbours.

I pray you know that there is a purpose and a plan to everything.  A beautiful patchwork quilt that has woven us all together and brought us together in this moment.

Lastly, I pray you know friendship. Friends who go along with crazy ideas for clubs, events, get togethers.  Friends who bake you gluten free treats and teach you how to bake.  Friends who share a piece of themselves, their struggles and their joys.  A friend who really wants all of you to do ZUMBA buy opts for a safe yoga class in her empty house.  Friends who walk with you during the early years of motherhood – whew!  Friends like you! 

I pray all these things as I trust in God with all my heart, leaning not on my own understanding.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Cheers to ALL my Warrior women… to all of us in different seasons of life, but living it TOGETHER!  Peace and love to you ALL!

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Flexibility, Parenting, psychology

Be Taking The Cake

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Four years ago, I searched all over our small town for a sun hat. I was pumped when I found this hat until I brought it home.

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Sexy Neck refused to allow CC to wear this hat. I won’t share all the words expressed about this awesome hat, but ugly was one of them. Our son never wore the hat.

Three years ago, a very good friend Double D, had a baby girl. She was looking for a summer hat so I decided to pass on CC’s never worn hat. (Yes, I had kept it!)

Double D graciously took my generous gift, but again this hat never touched her beautiful little girl’s head. Instead it has become a three year joke where we pass it back and forth in hilarious ways.

Two days ago, Double D took the cake in returning the hat to me. (I had put it in her daughter’s third birthday gift a few weeks ago.)

Can you believe this?

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SHE HID THE HAT IN A CAKE! I had tears in my eyes when she handed me the cake she baked. I felt so grateful. I had tears in my eyes as I cut the cake. Our family was laughing and shaking our head at our brilliant friend.

I guess the hat will be hitting the dress-up box. How can I possibly top this cake?

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My boys modelling the hat for me.

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Why doesn’t anyone like my hat? I just think it is darling!

Parenting

Be Surviving While Your Hubby’s Away

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Do you ever get an email that is so real it make you laugh til your stomach hurts?

I got one of those today and I have permission to share it with you.  It is from my great “mothering” friend, D, who has journeyed this entire motherhood experience with me.  All three of our children are one or two months apart (no we never discussed this!) and now we are moving to different cities within months of each other (we never discussed this either!).  We are kindred spirits!

Her husband has already started his job many miles away. She is holding down the fort, while he looks for a new place to live and starts his job.

Here is her email:

Subject: How to survive four nights and four days without K (her husband).

1. Wash your hair every four days. brush teeth once per day.

2. First diaper change at noon, if not after… only change him when he does #2 or wets his clothing.

3.Field most “Mommy” questions/complaints with “you figure it out” (confidence building!) add “you’re a smart girl” as a 2nd choice.

4. allow water play all over your house.  they will probably play longer with the water than the time it takes to mop it up later… and that can be a whole other activity later to keep ’em busy. 

5. It’s okay for a 15 month old to pass you plates out of the dishwasher.,

6. cook the children their breakfast, use the quiet eating time for cleaning up, and eat later (like toast and peanut butter in the car on the way to wherever it is you are going – with COFFEE!)

7. Use the gated fenced yard – go on my mom’s adage that if something happens, I’ll find out quick!

8. Strap the kids in the car, tell them you are getting a quick snack and quickly whip off the top three things you wanted to get done that day, checking in with the kids now and then… two can’t undo their buckles! YEAH! 

9. Go to dinner at a friend’s house…

Love this email, as I can relate to most of these things, even when my husband comes home after work!   My question is how did she have the time and insight to read it.  Answer, she is pretty amazing!

Cheers to a beautiful friend!

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