Pass me a cup of friendship, please.
A few weeks ago, I went to a ladies’ tea with women from my church. The theme of the afternoon was friendship. Oh this is nice, I thought. Girlfriends. Yes, those are nice to have. I’m sure this will be a nice little talk. Boy, was I in for it. I’m still trying to weather the repercussions of this discussion. {Bravo to those of you who planned the tea, because I am still thinking about what we talked about.}
It wasn’t some discussion about how we need friends to hang out and have fun with. It was about a deep, real need for connection with other people.
In college, my husband {we weren’t married yet} and I were part of a very closely knit group of friends. And when I say “friends,” I mean friends at the deepest level. These were friends with whom we could share our heartaches, our joys, our struggles, our whole lives. I never realized until now how precious of a gift that is. Oh, we definitely had our differences and misunderstandings, some of which were very difficult at times. But our friendships stood the test, and we were always there for each other.
And then we graduated.
And we moved away from everyone. All of our friends now live in different states, some in a different country. We moved to our new home not knowing anyone, and I am amazed at how many friends God has given us. But still something is missing. I have friends around here, but to be honest, I’m lacking that deep connection that I once had. {Here is a side note: I am so blessed to be married to Judah, and to share the deepest, most beautiful level of connection with him, but I think other married people will agree with me that you still need good friends other than your spouse.}
Since I work two part time jobs, and Judah works full time, I spend a lot of time alone. For an introvert, this is pretty great. But believe me, I still get lonely. I’m starting to realize that I need more of a friend than a cup of tea and a good book.
While driving home from this tea, I asked my mother-in-law, “Is it weird to ask someone to be your friend? Is it weird to ask them if they would be interested in building a deeper relationship?” {Dear reader, I’d love your opinion.} As we talked about it, I decided that maybe it’s a little weird, but it’s ok. But here’s the real question: Do I have the courage to do it?
Hmm, well, I guess that’s what this blog is all about, isn’t it?
It wasn’t some discussion about how we need friends to hang out and have fun with. It was about a deep, real need for connection with other people.
In college, my husband {we weren’t married yet} and I were part of a very closely knit group of friends. And when I say “friends,” I mean friends at the deepest level. These were friends with whom we could share our heartaches, our joys, our struggles, our whole lives. I never realized until now how precious of a gift that is. Oh, we definitely had our differences and misunderstandings, some of which were very difficult at times. But our friendships stood the test, and we were always there for each other.
And then we graduated.
And we moved away from everyone. All of our friends now live in different states, some in a different country. We moved to our new home not knowing anyone, and I am amazed at how many friends God has given us. But still something is missing. I have friends around here, but to be honest, I’m lacking that deep connection that I once had. {Here is a side note: I am so blessed to be married to Judah, and to share the deepest, most beautiful level of connection with him, but I think other married people will agree with me that you still need good friends other than your spouse.}
Since I work two part time jobs, and Judah works full time, I spend a lot of time alone. For an introvert, this is pretty great. But believe me, I still get lonely. I’m starting to realize that I need more of a friend than a cup of tea and a good book.
While driving home from this tea, I asked my mother-in-law, “Is it weird to ask someone to be your friend? Is it weird to ask them if they would be interested in building a deeper relationship?” {Dear reader, I’d love your opinion.} As we talked about it, I decided that maybe it’s a little weird, but it’s ok. But here’s the real question: Do I have the courage to do it?
Hmm, well, I guess that’s what this blog is all about, isn’t it?
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