Where the Past Meets the Prsent

It might sound trivial to some that we got away for a long weekend but it is a big deal for Bert to leave town for four days in the summer, something he has not done in over three years. But one of my favorite people in the world invited us to her farm in GA to spend time with friends and after stewing over it, we decided we could leave work and make a tour of it. So from Charleston to Macon to Newnan to Atlanta to Highlands and back to Charleston we went. 

We took a little vacation and it did my heart well.....

-to see my nephews playing with Loulie late into the night. They could be way too cool to play with their baby cousin but their hearts are just too good for that. Instead they surprised her with presents and attention and playtime with their stuff. To say that I am thankful that they love her the way they do is an understatement. I only hope someone else out there is raising boys this well because William and Lukie are setting some high standards.

-to see my college friends' children and Loulie playing together, to spend time with longtime (I don't use 'old' anymore) friends and to enjoy the insanely good food and scenery at my friend's home.

-to take Loulie to Atlanta for the first time. If she had been a teenager, she would have rolled her eyes every five seconds with our trip down memory lane. "there's where daddy went to college. There's mama's first office," etc, etc.

-to hear Loulie Giglio preach at Passion City Church.

- to experience Loulie's first "Castle"(hotel) stay. She is still talking about her princess castle with a pool  and elevator that she is going to live in at college. I also managed to squeeze in a little Ikea stop. I'll admit, it did my heart well to stock up on a few things--Bert's, it did not. He looks like he may cry in the picture leaving the store. I will be hard pressed to get him back there again.

- to hike and play with Loulie in the mountains. The nice part about vacation is not having anything else to do so there are no "I'll be right there" or "Wait just a minute." We were able to hike and play and eat at our leisure and see some pretty views along the way.

 

 

So, we finally went on a vacation. It did my heart well. I think I needed a change of scenery and some rest to get me through a hot, slow August. It wasn't Disney or Europe or out west; but it was exactly what we needed.

P.S. I know you noticed my circa 1998 Gloria Rae luggage. Don't knock it, you know you had some too. I obviously need  a new suitcase. Or maybe I'll hold on to it another half decade. Then will it be considered retro vintage?

Just like that

I moved two days before the 8th grade started so for the longest time I didn't have the lifelong friends that everyone else seemed to have--the "we've known each other since 4K" kind of thing. So it wasn't until I moved to Atlanta, keeping in touch and living with/near college and a handful of high school friends did I finally have that history with people. And after living in the close quarters of a dorm room and sorority house and 12 girls in 3 adjacent apartments; I felt like we had done a lot of living with each other.
AND I LOVE THESE GIRLS! They mean so much to me! So when I married and moved to Charleston, I wondered if I would ever have people that I felt that comfortable around. Besides, I was no longer living right next door--I met people but the amount of time I was able to spend with them was much less than the kind of free time you have in college or those single, working years. Naturally, I worried that I was now 5 hours away from the only close friends I would ever have. I remember after moving, praying for just one good friend.
(Fast forward 5 years)
Saturday night some friends gathered together in celebration. As usual, I came home with an empty stomach and sore jaw. I must have said "Good to see you, I really need to go" about 15 times before getting sucked back into another conversation that was just to good to leave. So on my way home, I had this energy (not the nervous kind that usually resonates through my body) but of gratitude and excitement. Because one friend and I got to talking about how much these other families meant to us and how over the years we've all shared in joy and tragedy with equal support. And the energy I had sprang from the good conversation--not of gossip or competition--but of support and encouragement and enthusiasm over each other's families and jobs and faith. And I felt that at the root of every conversation was the heart of Jesus. And after all this time here, I realized that good friends don't drop from the sky to your doorstep but are a result of work and experience. I hadn't even realized I was doing it but for 5 years, my faith has been nurtured in such a way that I have surrounded myself with people that build me up and give good advice and as Bert said the other day "keep us accountable."
5 years ago on the way to a pilates class at a new gym in a new town, I said I would be happy if I could make one good friend. And after that class, one girl invited me to a small group. And this morning we left the gym together again laughing over the events of this past weekend. And just like that, I had done some living with a new set of people who I love. 


* Of all ironies, I found this on the web today. Think I'll add it to my reading list.