Icy Days= Time to Reflect

I truly feel like I embrace pieces of myself that I tend to forget about when the world stops due to weather...I am sure you, dear reader, feel the same. Isn't it nice to take up that hobby that's collected dust in the corner? Or to experiment with recipes in the kitchen?

I only wish I hadn't been sick the first 3 of this unexpected 5-day weekend. But I tried to make up for lost time today.

I did some great bargain grocery shopping, went sledding at the park with my cousin & his family, swapped some recipes with my dear Lindy, and got some face time with a few peeps I rarely get to see during the normal swing of life. My dad & I grabbed coffee at the bookstore this afternoon. For many reasons full of laborious details I'll spare you of, we haven't had a close father-daughter relation, the type that I've always longed for, through most of my formative years. I'd say in only the last 2 have we found common ground that we've grown from. And today, I felt a genuine fatherly sentiment from my dad that I appreciate more than words can describe. I left with a few of those happy tears in my eyes that I refused to let come out.

I also spent some time with my beloved Kevin, a friend who I felt for sure I'd "grow apart from" as life progressed and we followed our chosen paths. Not so! I still feel love for him as strong as ever. It's always refreshing to know you have that. That your close friendships are built on solid ground. Sure, we've both made many new friends over the years, and good ones at that. But there's a tie there that no life circumstance can sever. (I'm not even gonna spell check that tho it pains me to not know if that is correct!) My fiance actually pointed something out to me about Kevin...one night Kev & I had gotten angry at each other over something silly. And Tanner said, "Lisa, he LOVES you so much. He'd never try to hurt you. He likes me and all, but he LOVES you." And Tan said it with all sincerity. Now, I'll correct him to say that Kevin has grown to love Tanner in a way that I could only hope anyone who loves me would feel about my future husband. (All my friends/fam love him, which is wonderful). But when I sat on that thought, and could come out realizing that my friend was a TRUE friend, it felt nice. It's so important to only keep those close to us that we know would defend our honor, would forgive us in grievances, would love us unconditionally.

I remember once fearing that another dear friend, Gena, and I would eventually grow apart because our lives are so different at this point. She's married, has her kids, her friends with kids, a different church, different neighborhood...all circumstance, of course, but daily differences that can grow large over time. Not so! I still bear my heart to her in a way that reminds me of why she is one of the important people in my life. She doesn't see me as an "old college buddy" but has an unconditional love.

And while unconditional love is something beyond this earth, something we should only hope to receive from our God...it's nice to think that God puts a few humans in our spheres that can give us a little glimpse of what it should be during our lifetime.