Pondering Friendship

It's 8:55 pm and I'm relaxing in my room, enjoying the Frosted Berries candle Shiloh gave me for Christmas, and amazed that there isn't a thing that I have to do. I absolutely love Friday evenings. Sabbaths, now that's another story, because we're usually rushing hither and yon, trying to do a billion things and go to a zillion performances, but Friday evenings are the best. Time to stop, when the sun goes down, from a frantish (new word!) pace and ease into a more peaceful frame of mind. Often we play a few games (I usually win in Boggle), sit around the kitchen table and chat about our week, and enjoy some supper, snacks, or, as this evening, lollipops. When I leave and come back to my place for the evening it is usually quite early and I can quietly sit and listen to music, read a favourite book, catch up on my blog, see what I've missed on FB and post a note on a friend's wall, or simply journal or write a creative piece.

This week has been super super busy, with registration and all, but with 31 enrolled for this semester (up from 27 last semester!), I am excited to see what the coming months will bring. I'm learning a lot, as always, especially how to work with different personality types, how to cope under change (which seems to be the only constant in my life at present!), and how to set firm boundaries without offending people. Just when I think I have it all figured out, life throws another curveball at me and I'm left with an empty glove, wondering how I can catch the next one!

I'm grateful today for the friends in my life, well I'm thankful for all of them, but tonight I'm thinking of the ones that I interact with on campus on a daily basis. Laura, always ready to lend a listening ear or dialogue about challenges, somehow she keeps a smile on her face in the midst of chaos, and she understands things the same way I do. My mom, who always answers her phone when I call with a question, lets me cry in her office when emotions run high, and listens to me for hours as I work through issues. My sister, someone who always understands what I mean even before I've thought it, loves to organize a meal out so we can get off campus, rushes me to the library 15 minutes before it closes, and constantly encourages me to achieve my goals. Sherry, who laughs with me at the ironic eccentricities of life (or else we cry!), reads people with frightening accuracy, is not afraid to tell it like it is, and is comfortable telling me to "get over it." Dr. Jensen, someone who is not afraid to be who she is, who sets an example for me in her fearlessness, boldness, and genuine caring for others, she too understands the frustrations I feel and is able to express them for me with her vivaciously dramatic flair (only in my office, though!). Rina, who walks about the campus with a song on her lips, is always stopping to say hello and notice people, and she listens when I ramble on about things and is genuinely excited with me when I am happy about something. There's others who brighten my life also, Cosmin with his upbeat spirit, Andy with his logical thinking, Kevin with his understanding born of years of independent ministries, Beth with her eagerness to share, Linda with her humorous approach to life, Heather with her sweetness, Becky with her hysterical laughter. Then my 5 absolutest best friends, in no particular order, LaVonne, Laura, Eva, Shiloh, and Katie, who are as giving as can be, and are the kind of friends I know I will cherish forever. Friends who will pick up where we left off should we be separated for 10 years, who are selfless and caring, friends who will pray in a crisis and laugh in the good times, and friends who will always be ready to go out to Fresh Choice for a meal!!!

As I've been blogging, worried that I will forget someone and leave them out accidentally, I've begun to think back over the years and remember all the other friends I've made who have moved on and yet left their footprints behind in my heart. I cannot name them all, I think I'd probably crash the memory on the blogspot server!, but I'm grateful for each one of them also.

When I wrote down my life goals several years ago, I included one goal that was not quantifiable. I wanted to make a difference in the life of one person. Thinking of all the people who have made a difference in mine, I pray I can be used as God's Hands to touch the lives of all around me, not just one person. . .