Friendship…it’s a beautiful thing

Something beyond reason happens in my life at least every month and sometimes more. Everything in the universe culminates and every commitment I have ends up on the same weekend. And the absurd thing is that up until Thursday night, I feel quite certain that I can keep every single one. But as the weekend draws nearer, my students get antsier, and my time ticks shorter and shorter, I finally realize I can’t do it all. Something’s gotta give.

And what should that something or several things be that get booted? Well, housework, obviously. But after that it becomes a little fuzzy. Some people drop things in the order they have come into their schedule—long standing commitments could be the last to go and last minute plans are instantly rejected. Others keep things that are most insistent, cause the largest amount of guilt if you don’t do them,  choose family, or what is most fun.

I have done each and every one of these things when planning various weekends. But more often than not friends and family trump all else. Relationships are extremely important, and for the single girl, imperative. Friendships are a major way the Lord teaches us because, let’s face it, they can be really difficult.

As much as friendships can be fun they can also be hard to manage, keep, and traverse. Whenever we get close to people we have to show sides of ourselves that are awful, messy, disastrous. Thank goodness for friends who see all that and stick with you. It is at this point, when a friendship crosses into this messy place, we can grow and change.

God has blessed me with amazing friends. It has sometimes been quite a rocky road, but a road worthy of travel. So, this past weekend I had the chance to get together with some old friends, meet new ones and foster some developing friendships.

On Friday, my work had a retreat. Work you say? But I love the women I work with. It is a terrifically diverse group of women, working together for a common purpose (teaching children and keeping one another out of a mental institution). I love them, love working with them and would not have made it this far without them.

   

Brandy, Brooke and I all took advantage of the spa station in order to pamper ourselves (actually, Erica pampered me with an amazing foot rub and pedicure, heaven).

Jo Ann, Carmen and Deb chill outside, deep in conversation. They actually have no idea I took this picture, I was in the kitchen and took it through the window (cue maniacal laughter).

There were so many other pictures to share (there were 20 of us at the retreat), but I’ve gotta move on.

Melea and I met for brunch at Mimi’s Café. Yum! Then we did some shopping. What a great way to spend an afternoon.

 

Finally Jenn and Elizabeth (Jenn I’ve known since high school and Elizabeth since just after college) and I went to Starbucks to talk about life, twins (Jenn has 1 year old twins) and buying cool retro houses (Elizabeth and her husband just did that. Now, I was supposed to edit this picture, add in Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie since the girls felt their lives have been too hectic for them to be in a picture. Sorry girls, I tried, and the sad result is I am not at all computer savvy enough to pull that off.

Bonus: here’s Tina and I at Polaris just last night. We had a blast eating at The Pub, shopping (I bought the cutest scarf in the world, not too mention two amazing headbands) and eating a little cheesecake by the fountain.