Speaking of...

old friends, I got a birthday text message today from a very old friend. We met in college and we were best of friends right from the start. We did some crazy things together. She held my hand and wiped my tears through some really difficult times, she encouraged me when I needed it, we partied together, we even named a drink together...The Reddington...which I still drink sometimes when I am at a party. And the truth is every time I make that drink I think of her. She was there when I got engaged and she was a bridesmaid when I got married and she came and helped to clean my house a week after my first son was born. Needless to say she moved away and my life got really crazy with a constantly sick baby and the truth being I suck at staying in touch with people and we lost touch. I don't know why, because she is honestly the type of person you should never lose touch with. She is the type of person that you want to grow old with and re tell crazy stories with time and time again.

Today I got a text message asking wishing me birthday wishes and I called the number just to see who it was because I didn't have a clue. Needless to say I was mighty surprised at the voice on the other end of the phone. I was touched that such an old friend that I have loved for so many years would reach out and remember my birthday. I had been meaning to write her(point be taken of how crappy I am at keeping in touch) to let her know that I had lost my great-grandparents and my grandmother at the beginning of the year and she told me that she already knew because she had read my blog and then someone else filled her in. I was touched that she still reads my blog and thinks about me. You know sometimes you wonder if the people who meant so much to you actually felt that you meant something to them. Today I found out that our friendship was really mutual and that she must still think of me too. I was even more touched when I checked my mailbox(the snail mail) and I found a card with a very nice thought inside and I remembered all the great memories and why I loved her so dearly. I remembered what an awesome friend she had always been and will always be. I am really hoping that we can keep in touch better and when she comes home we can see each other once in a while and hopefully we will grow old and when we are old we will retell the stories about a drink called "The Reddington" time and time again.

You know who you are and now I know that you actually read this so thank you for making what wasn't such a great birthday an awesome birthday after all. I know Sylvia is up there working and making it great through those people in my life. I hope I get to see you soon...Thank you for all the great times we had and thank you for still being a friend.
Andrea

Friends...Old & New

Before everything went wrong at the beginning of the year I had acquired a mom's group here in Spring Hill. I really like the concept behind this group so I said sure I can handle it and didn't really appreciate how much work it takes to get it going and keep it running. Nor did I ever consider how hard it is to be the one in charge. Now that everything is over with and my life is trying to get back to normal I have been re-focused to this group and have been really trying to get it going again. YIKES!

I can say though that I really do enjoy most of the relationships that have been formed through mom's groups. I have had some friends going on 3 years and I have recently met some new, really cool moms that I love. Some of the old friends are friends that I knew and lost contact with and some are friends that have been true through the past 3 years. I am really glad to be rekindling some older relationships. I remember why I loved those moms in the first place. They are just good, fun, comical ladies that I can really share my days with. They make me laugh and they listen to me cry and they are more than willing to have a little more than a few drinks with me at MNO. They really understand what being a mom, wife, friend is all about. They understand what my life is right now, right here. They understand who I am. I know that I am blessed to share my life with these ladies and I am twice blessed that God continues to send new moms to our group when one mom chooses to leave. I am blessed with the new friendships that I am forming and that these ladies are just as awesome and totally fit in with us. I am truly blessed.

I encourage all moms to find a mom's group in their area. The friendship that other moms give is amazing and if not life saving, it is at least sanity saving. I know it has saved whatever sanity I have left.