It was a sweet week and a fun weekend. I feel like God is really showering me with love right now.
Halloween night friends gathered at our neighbors' house. We at chili and cornbread, we talked and laughed, we took turns holding their sweet baby. And as trick or treaters approached the house, we'd gather at their big front window and watch the kids coming to the door, taking turns handing out candy, being quite silly. It was a jolly evening that ended with just a small group gathered around a fire outside. Lovely, hilarious, filled with the comfort of friends and love.
Friday was a bittersweet day as my sister had to put down her beloved kitty. She'd had him for many years and so his passing was terribly painful for her. I was so privileged to be with her as the vet did what she had to do. We held Tootsie, loved on him, cried together. But I was so glad to be there.
That night my brother came down from Denver where he lives. Mutual friends were getting married on Saturday, so Matt came and stayed with us. :-) Since a whole group of our friends really misses him since he moved away, we invited folks over for dinner. I made one of Matt's favorites - fettuccine alfredo with teriyaki chicken. An oddly delish combination! ;-)
After dinner, a good friend and I again ended up outside by the fire - just the two of us - and we had a wonderful conversation. We talked about a lot of different stuff... What do our clothes say - are they a reflection of who we are, our personality? Do we feel free to dress the way we want? And we talked about my messy house. I said how happy it makes me just how comfortable people feel in my home, how they seem to feel free to just come over, hang out, chill. And my friend said he thinks the messiness adds to that feeling of ease - that there's no fear of messing something up, that our house exudes comfort and a relaxed spirit. What a blessing for him to say that! What a blessing to have my house filled with friends relaxing and having fun.
It was another evening of laughter, fire, food, and friends. What could be better?
Saturday was the day of the long-anticipated wedding! Many of us gathered to help decorate for the reception, and the room echoed with our talking, our laughter, just about everyone holding a cup of something hot. The wedding was magical, beautiful! I love that moment when the groomsmen are all in place, and the bridesmaids begin walking down the aisle. Almost without fail, the groom's expression changes - from relaxed excitement to just a moment of anxiety, nervousness, sometimes just a flash of fear. Whoa! This is really happening! And then he sees his bride, and everything changes again. His eyes widen, he smiles, and the love that he feels washes over everyone watching as we all stand and turn to watch his beloved walk toward him. I love it!
At this wedding, the bride and groom have had some real adversity to overcome, and the joy, relief, and excitement was so obvious on both their faces. There were lots of tears of joy, their faces were just shining with happiness. It was quite an occasion. The reception was fun, but some of us hadn't had quite enough of community, so afterward we gathered at a friend's house for take-out Chinese and a movie.
And for two nights over this sweet weekend Matt stayed with us. We don't have a spare room, or even a spare bed, so Matt just crashes on our couch. It is pretty darn comfy! ;-) But I hope he knows how welcome he is here. He just fits right in. He hangs out with us. He eats whatever is being served. He just slides right into our lives. I miss him! Sure wish God had seen fit to provide him a job here instead of Denver, but meanwhile, I just relish the times he's here with us. It's pretty darn sweet.
Quite a weekend - so filled with love, friends I adore, and the comfort of being together.
It reminded me of similar times we had when we lived in Rolla. Sometimes we'd just go back and forth from one house to another - lunch at one, dinner at another, never really ready to say "goodnight". My bestie and I used to joke about someday building a communal house in which our two families would live - with separate living quarters so our husbands could get their time alone while we spent all day together. ;-)
And so on this quiet Monday, I'm thinking a lot about these hours spent with friends and family. I'm thinking about the many precious friends I've had over the years. I'm thinking how blessed I am in so many ways. I'm thinking how wonderful each of you is who has blessed me with your friendship, and how rich my life has been.
One more thought: There is no doubt that our struggle with infertility was tough. Horrible. Painful. But as our hearts have begun to heal from our loss of children, I can see a glimpse of a plan. What a joy it is to see, to feel, to know how much love fills our lives. We are surrounded by love - family, neighbors, friends near and far. And our childless home has become a sanctuary for our friends where they can come and relax, leave behind at least some of their troubles, be fed with food and friendship, fire and love.
And it is sweet.
No comments:
Post a Comment