This challenge is being put on by Jen at Conversion Diary so if you want to see other's post check out her page! Also, a shout out to my buddy Mary for getting me started on this adventure! Read her post on her call to Christians, especially Catholics! You'll love it! I wish I would've thought of it first!
I wanted to start off today by writing about something that has been on my heart this past week. I love learning about things. I was a teacher for almost 11 years so it's in my blood. But one thing I love learning about most is myself. I love to grow as a person, a woman, a wife, and most recently a mother. So that's what my 7 posts are going to be about this week. One each day on something I've learned about myself as it relates to this world. I hope that just maybe I can encourage some of you to grow too and take a deeper look at yourself.
This weekend I was working on my devotional for a Women's Fellowship I belong to that focused on the strength there is in friendships. As I completed it, I was so on fire to spread this message because it's exactly what has been on my heart this week.
Being a stay at home mom to a preemie, in Michigan, during the worst winter EVER (even the Weather Channel has officially given us permission to complain) I have been stuck indoors A LOT. I began to feel extremely isolated and craving interaction with others. Because Noah can't go a lot of places and many of my friends are busy with life and work, I began to go almost stir crazy craving interaction with others. Especially other women that I could relate to and share life with. You see, for me, and I would go out on a limb and say for most of you too, you need friends. You need those people other than your husband and children for interaction on a somewhat regular basis. We all need that outlet. And if you are an extrovert and social butterfly like I am, you especially do. There is something so calming, so rewarding, so refocusing about a group of friends or even just one girlfriend. I can't speak for men, but it has been my experience that women need women.
Now, I should jump in here now and say that not all women are created equal. What I mean is, you need to find a friend or friends who breathe life into you. So many friends have a tendency to suck the energy from you that it isn't rewarding or building...it's work. That doesn't mean avoid friends with issues or problems, rather find that friend that you can be with that regardless of the situation when you leave you feel encouraged and that perhaps your heart is beating a little stronger because of the time you spent with her. I loved this quote about a good friend that I read in my book, "A good friend is one who trusts, understands, gives space, and is willing to speak honestly into your life. And if we can get to the place where we can truly serve others in love, as the Bible commands, we'll escape the traps of jealousy, betrayal, and anger that plague so many relationships." That's the kind of friendships we all desire, right? The kind where you can speak your true feelings and not risk being judged or betrayed?Besides the women's fellowship I mentioned, I also am apart of a group of mostly women that have lost children that meets once a month. Now that may sound sad to many of you, and although some of us do cry each month, and there are moments of anger, I have found this group of women to be one of my greatest resources of strength and resolve these days. Parenting a child after losing a child is scary. In fact, we often tease that this is the best group we never wanted to be apart of. What I love about this group is that we all feel free to come and share openly and love each other openly. It's weird how tragedy has bound us together, but there are some women in that group I trust more than others I have known for years. I have left the past few months encouraged and feeling accepted something we as women all desire.
One place I have found support is online through social media. I think social media is a great outlet in this day and age to meet and talk with other women who share your common interests and what not. Especially for those with busy lives and little children it's nice to connect with others out there from the comfort of your own home in the middle of your own private chaos. BUT...and this is a BIG BUT (not to be confused with a BIG BUTT) as much as I love social media and I am thankful for it's impact in my life, I think it's very important to not let that be your only outlet with girlfriends. When we only connect with friends, as my devotional book suggests, on a social media level, we really lose the depth of our friendships, because as wonderful as it is, Facebook cannot compete with real FACE to FACE time. A cup of coffee, a walk around the neighborhood, a shopping trip...those are where friendships are strengthened and made deep.
Stay tuned for tomorrow when I will be talking about this article written by Matt Walsh and what I have learned about husbands and marriage....
How funny Erin (and thanks for the shout outs) one of my posts this week is going to be on friendship as well! I was thinking yesterday, at Mass, about how essential friendships/community is to our faith walk. Often times, we pray about our children's future, their spouses, their sanctity, but yesterday, I started thinking about this need to pray that my children find good friends at every stage in their lives. There's a reason the Church calls community our deepest vocation right?
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