Friends who make you feel like family....

Lately, my life has been a blur.....I'm working farther from home, and am gone more, or at least, it FEELS like I am......

and when I'm home and "SHOULD BE" reconnecting with my friends, I have had to turn down most invitations for lunch or supper... or for BBQ's, because of how snakey life is ..... and how worn out I am......

I am starting to worry that people from my church will think I either died or just plain don't want to be friends any more!

a couple of weeks ago, on a Friday, I got invited out for lunch..... and for once, I had time to go..... and I went!

It wasn't at a quaint outdoor cafe ....though we did kinda eat outside....

it wasn't a romantic candle light lunch at a cute cafe......

it was much more intimate than that...

it was a circle of friends, sharing a pizza and laughing.....

it was one of those rare moments .....ever had those?? where you are free to be you? to let your hair down... and relax...

This was one of those occasions..... .... where I felt included.... free to be me.... I wasn't afraid that someone might judge me for the weight I've put on... or scrutinize me for the fact that I hadn't shaved yet... or look at me funny because I missed church last week...

I wasn't afraid of being judged because I was divorced... I wasn't afraid of dripping pizza on my shirt.... I was comfortable.... not because of where we had lunch... but because of who I had it with...

I am SO thankful for the friends in my life...