Being a friend

 You know everyone who comes into your life affects some of your thinking and actions and shapes the kind of person you become.
 As I was growing up, I never put much thought into having friends or being a good friend.  I had two sisters and a brother.  Why did I need friends or 'playmates?
 Being a shy kid, it was taxing enough to have to interact with classmates in elementary school and Sunday school.  Plus my parents were both teachers, and it was kind of a given that teachers' kids hung together. During those early times my friendships were kind of automatic--not any connection that I felt I really needed.
 Being a good friend and having the company of a soul sister was not on my list of what I wanted to be or have.
 Until...after I was married, I realized that marriage is not the answer to lonliness, fulfillment, or self-worth.  Then I began to have to look outside my tight circle of myself and family.  I did need companionship!
 Lucky for me--once I  had this realization, I found that there were already people around waiting and wanting to be my friend.  I just had to open the door to my heart and wave them in.
 Once when I was wary of a job change, a wise and wonderful friend told me that each new job or situation was a chance to make a new friend. HA! Easy for him to say..He seems to never meet a stranger.
 But with that seed of wisdom, possibilities presented themselves, and I have been blessed with several special friends.  Each one has colored my world according to their uniqueness and my need.  I can only hope that I have added as much to their lives as they have to mine.
 Thank you God that I am having more days to learn that the wannabes of my youth are only an outline of the Great Plan that you have for me.  If we leaving the driving to you, our options are LIMITLESS.

I'll remedy that!

 Hmmm, my entries have been kind of solemn, but I have a remedy for that.  I will reflect on my granddaughters for a bit.
 Aha, I just read an email about the pursuit of happiness---meaning you must actively participate in the search for your happiness.  My granddaughters could have their pictures by that definition.  They wake up looking for fun things, and I am usually rewarded with their find even if my eyes are not open enough to see it.
 My youngest granddaughter is finally using real words instead of the squeals and uh's that her sister says are Spanish.  That explains why I can't understand.  I forgot all the Spanish that I learned in elementary school.
 Her first meaningful and useful word besides dada and mama was BABA.  She knew this was a sure way to get something to drink.  Now she has learned another word that promises her new places and fun activiites--"GO".
 As we grow up why do we outgrow the excitement that comes from just GO-ing outside, GO-ing to get ice cream, or GO-ing to a park.  We forget about simple joys and think adult outings have to be bigger, better, and way too expensive.
 Maybe we should rewind to our days of splashing in mud puddles, playing with toys with no batteries or sound, and enjoying the sheer pleasure of b-l-o-w-i-n-g bubbles.
 Three CHEERS for the game of chase---Catch me if you can!