The Steel Magnolia's

Once...when I was young, I had the best friends any one person could ask for.  We did everything together.  Church, School, sharing baby sitting jobs, riding bikes around the neighborhood, just hanging out.  There were five of us, each different in our own way, yet also so much alike.  We shared our hopes and dreams, our plans for the future, our secrets.  Never did we ever believe we would be without one another, we just thought we would always be around.  But time and life have a way of changing even the best laid plans.  And so it was that we drifted apart, one going this way, another that way, each in a different direction.  Life gave us each what it had planned for us, and some of it was not always good so it seems.  But we have survived this life so far and we have proven once again how strong we really are.  We all got married, most of us had kids, and now our children are having children, yes, time passes on.  But then a miracle happened, and thanks to modern technology we found each other again and like there had never been any years between us we struck up right where we left off.  Friendship is like that you know.  It's a kinship between souls, an unseen bond that defies the test of time.  I love these women with a love I can't explain, they made me smile when I was blue and they still do.  We were there for each other through thick and thin, and I can promise you it will be that way still.  This weekend we are getting together for a long overdue friends reunion.  The reunion of the Steel Magnolia's.  Coming from all over to be together and share our dreams once more.  Plus, share our heartaches and blessings from the past.  It will be a great time I am sure, one of many reunions to come God willing.  I look forward to hugging my old friends and laughing and crying and doing all the things we used to do.  Friendship...is there anything more wonderful in a persons life.  This lady loves her friends, and you know...she knows they love her back.  Yes life is good...and all is right in the world again.

Little Things

Once when I thought of little things, I meant a soft rain on a spring day, or a gentle snow on a winters night.  Maybe even a road trip with a good friend to discover the wonders of the land.  Eating Capn Crunch cereal before bedtime to ensure sweet dreams.  Little things were affection from a four legged friend, saying hello to a neighbor and getting a feel good feeling over it.  Or maybe walking into the garden to  find a new bloom on my favorite flower, seeing a little tree frog after many years of absence.  An ice cream treat on a hot summer day, shared of course with one you love.  But these days when I think of little things, I literally mean little things.  My beautiful grandchildren, each one uniquely different, yet strangely the same in a lot of ways.  Their happy smiles, cuddly hugs, affectionate caresses.  Beautiful and sweet they bring joy complete.   It is true you know, grandchildren are the gift of God in older age.  I think I am a much better grandparent than I ever was a parent.  I have more patience, more time, and more emotion than I can ever remember.  I love those little people, and I can attest that it is the "little things" in life that do matter.

Sarah

I have a dog, her name is Sarah...she is a German Shepard.  Kind of ironic huh?  A German dog with a Jewish name.  I did it on purpose.  I love the name Sarah, and I love the Nation of Israel and Lord knows I love my girl.  She is so loyal...I complain sometimes because she is always under foot, but the truth is, I like her there.  I know she loves me as much as I love her.  She sleeps with me when my sweet husband is away and when he is here, she sleeps beside us on her bed beside our bed.  She likes to get bones out of the garbage, a habit we are trying to break her of.  She also likes to bark at strangers, until she realizes that they are no longer strangers.  She likes to chase our cat Rusty and give her a hard time, but really she just loves her so much and wants to play with her.  Yes, she has some not so great habits, but she is warm and affectionate and sweet spirited and we love her.  Man's best friend is Woman's best friend also, she is my protector, my guardian, my companion.  I feel safe when she is around and I feel loved unconditionally.  I know Dogs are God's gift to mankind.  He gave us a wonderful gift, the gift of love so great, that only a human and their four legged friend can understand it.  It's like the love between ourselves and God, it's there, and we can feel it, even when no words are spoken.  I hope we have a long and happy life together, that we grow into our old age together and that one of us can comfort the other when the time comes to leave this world.  She's a great dog my Sarah, and I thank God he loved me enough to share her with us.

Tender Mercies

After months of drought here in Southeast Texas, a tropical depression came through with lots of rain fall.  It's sad how I take the littlest things for granted.  A good rain fall, cool winds, a roof over my head, food to eat,  good health.  But then I received a phone call from a dear friend of mine today, and she told me she has been diagnosed with MS.  She is so brave and so strong that I had no doubt that she will come through this as her independent spirit would not allow other wise.  But then something horrible happened....just before we hung up, she began to cry.  Oh no God, not my brave, strong friend. If she breaks down, what does that mean for the rest of us?  Then I remembered how tears were the cleansers for the soul and we all have to break down sometime.  And even the bravest of us have to cleanse the soul every now and then.  I love this woman so much, she has been one of those special blessings in my life, enriching it with her wisdom and her joy.  Now she needs those of us she has touched with her life to be her strength, to be her rock.  She is a single woman, and her friendships are very dear to her, as she is very dear to us.  I pledge to be there for her.  To give her a shoulder to cry on, a ear to listen and a voice to cheer her as the months and years go by.  Devastating illness's are never news anyone wants to hear.  It is hard for the person hearing it and for their family and friends also.  She has been our rock of friendship for so long, and now it's time for us to step up and be her rock.  Yes I plan to be there for her, through thick and thin, with all the tender mercies that God allows me to share. Because that's how true friends roll!