Reflecting on a weekend spent with friends and family and feeling so grateful for the love shared this weekend. This month my husband Glenn and I both turn 40, our youngest son turns 5 and we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. It’s a month and year I’ve thought about for a long time. It seemed so far away for so long and here it is just a comin and a goin. So we had a big old weekend surrounded by people we love and it was simply the best.
I think about friendship and talk about it endlessly it seems. When we moved to Raleigh it was one of my biggest fears. Probably second to finding a new Doctor. How will I make friends? How will I find community?
In reality I think there are times when we all feel lonely even when we have the best people surrounding us in big or small numbers. We are the only ones who experience our exact lives. An obvious statement but a reminder that it’s normal and though letting people in makes life a whole lot easier it doesn’t completely fix the human nature of loneliness.
The older I get the more I realize how important it is to show up. We’ve been bathed in a culture of learn how to say no and set boundaries. That is a wonderful thing but I hope that it doesn’t cloud how important it is to really show up.
It’s easier for me to show up now than it was 6 years ago when I was knee deep in babies and toddlers and post partum feelings. Don’t let these words make you feel bad if you’re in it, whatever IT is.
The simple text or contact to just say hi matters so even if you can’t show up physically don’t forget that the thought counts and the simple text matters.
More thoughts, reflections and all the sappy posts coming.
XOXO friends. Go text 5 people you love right now and check on a neighbor.