Welcome to Thursday’s Confessions. A weekly feature where I confess, before you my sisters and brothers, the silly, the ridiculous and even at times the shameful. Why? Because confession is good for the soul. Even in Blogland.
Confession: This picture doesn’t have too much to do with this post other than I just had to share. This is one of the sweetest babies ever. Course I think all my friends babies are the sweetest. But when I find one that smiles at me, well then I just melt. Did I mention that I love babies? I really think that Target should hire me just to hold crying babies while their mothers shop. I am really good and walking around, bouncing babies on my hip and talking to them about nothing as if we are the oldest of friends. I could be the “relief holder” for tired, stressed-out momma’s trying to juggle their crying babies, finding coupons and locating the exact right size of diaper. Whenever I hear a crying baby in a store I am always tempted to go offer my superb holding & bouncing services but I am pretty sure it would creep people out and get me kicked out of stores.
Confesssion: Over the past year I have not been the best friend. While working full time and writing the book and being a momma, I had to put a lot of things on the back burner. One of those things were several of my friendships, I just have not been able to visit with everyone as regularly as before, so this Advent season I have tried to make it a point to gather as many friends as I can at my home, around my table. My goal has been to love on them with all my heart and to fill all their bellies with tasty food. hoping to bribe them into forgiving me for my un-availability in 2011. I figure that if they are happy and have full tummys they may be more willing to forget all the birthdays I missed and all the times I have had to cancel plans, all the unanswered text and emails, all the ways I have been completely out of touch and out of pocket.
Last night was group 2 of the 4 gatherings on the docket and judging by the scraped clean bowls last night I think I am making progress…
It was such a fun night, to just sit and soak it all in. To not feel guilty because I should be getting a dozen other things done. To just catch up with everyone, to pass the baby around, to play a mild game of Dirty Santa, to eat too much and to laugh a lot and most of all to hear what is good in each of their lives.
This Advent I am more grateful than ever for all my friends – friends that hang in there year after year, who stick with me when I am not at my best, who still are willing to come out and play with me despite all the bends and turns in our journeys that sometimes separate us. Surely there are not many Christmas gifts better than that?
where were you when my girls were babies – especially at 3 am??? Love your green polka dot glasses. I am sure your friends all understand how busy you have been – enjoy the holiday!!
Might you happen to have skills with wild/unruly 3 year olds?
And I feel the same way about my friendships. Mine have been back-burnered, too. But you know what? The book is almost done. 🙂
Merry Christmas, J!