The Babysitter

“Get off your butt and go swing.”

That’s what the babysitter told Marie while I was inside – not eavesdropping. They were enjoying the sunny weather and I was enjoying the arms of Mr. Sexy who was getting ready to leave for a business trip. Because our bedroom has a door that opens onto the front porch, I am privy to most conversations that happen out there.

The babysitter told Marie, “Get off your butt and go swing.”

I looked at Mr. Sexy and said, “Wow. That is exactly what she needs from the people around her.”

Seasons Come and Go

I’m not always okay with that. In fact, it can feel quite painful. Almost like betrayal. It feels like a heavy loss when a season of friendship ends. I usually feel hurt, angry and then I (try to) mask those emotions with apathy. That last part doesn’t work out very well.

I value friendship greatly. You might even say I value friendship more than family. My parents moved us away from extended family when I was about 12 years old. We went from celebrating every major holiday and birthday with lots of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents to only seeing a handful of them once or twice a year. I still miss that I didn’t get to grow up with my cousins. Beyond our Facebook friendship, I feel like we are strangers. So, instead of holidays filled with family, my holidays were filled with friends. They were mostly church friends – a church family is the name often used.