Flash Back Friday to May 2004

2009

Friends. Family.

"There are a few people out there with whom you fit just so, and, amazingly, you keep fitting just so even after you have growth spurts or lose weight or stop wearing high heels. You keep fitting after you have children or change religions or stop dyeing your hair or quit your job... 
Somehow, God is gracious enough to give a few of those people, people you can stretch into, people who don't go away, and whom you wouldn't want to go away, even if they offered to." 

-From Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner 

I have been blessed with many such friends and I think, doubly blessed that my sisters are my best friends. 

With sisters we have our shared lives, our histories. Common interests come in second. In our family there is a genuine love and care for one another. 
I remember our mother saying, "If you can't play nicely with your sisters then you can't play with anyone else." 






Our mother was very wise. 

Then we lost our parents and our oldest sister stepped in to take care of us. 
She was only 20 and felt so strongly that this was the right thing to do; to take care of her sisters. She obviously was raised with a deep sense of duty; and we wanted her. 

This experience drew us very close to one another, in a very protective way. But I know deep down that it was our parent's leading that shaped our family and shaped our love for one another. 

Our parents loved us and it showed. They were friends to their siblings. They had fun and fabulous friends. ( The parties, the dancing, the drinking, the laughing...they had a ball) They taught us to be friends. 

I remember going to the Jewel with our mother. We needed two carts. She spoke with the check out woman in a friendly and familiar way. I remember thinking, 'she knows these people, these strangers.' 

Now my children marvel that I cruise the grocery store happily greeting the stocking boys and check out girls and the packers. 

We learn in very subtle ways don't we? 

Our friendly, cheerful mother and funny, dutiful father continue to effect their family 30 years later. 

Love can sure go a long way. 

************* 

Well, I meant to write about friends and ended up writing about family. I guess that is what happens when you go with your train of thought...and not with an outline. But in our family , friendship and family are one and the same. And for that I am truly thankful! 

Encourage one another, 
Donna


p.s.  this post lost it's pictures over the years....so the pictures are not from 2004 but the words are.