a circle of friends

If you weep, I will weep with you.
If you sing for joy the rest of us
Will lift our voices too.
But no matter what you feel inside there's no need to pretend.
That's the way it is in this circle of friends.

--- Point of Grace

We packed lightly and loaded the van. Still not quite believing that we'd managed to clear six calendars on the same Friday of the same month, we set off for the weekend get-away that we'd been planning for the past six months.

Between us we were leaving behind five children (they are all seventeen or older so the guilt was minimal), six jobs, two pets, one Sunday school class, two school papers that were yet unwritten (and due on Tuesday), and a whole host of laundry and yardwork.

Feeling more like excited children on the last day of school instead of the mature, responsible adults that we are, we drove out of town and straight into a weekend that promised long talks, even longer laughs, and - longest of all - precious moments with friends that seem to come all too seldom in this crazy life we lead.

Over the next three days we women shopped the downtown antique and gift shops like the troupers we are and our men did what they do best: they opened their wallets and gave generously to the cause.

We lunched at local diners, we searched for crackle candles, we ate ice cream at an honest-to-goodness old fashioned parlor, we celebrated a birthday, we enjoyed a true German dinner at an out-of-the-way table in a quaint restaurant in the center of town, we sat in rocking chairs on the front porch of our cottages and watched the rain fall, we grilled steaks and then sat for hours just chatting, we got a jump on Christmas shopping, we luxuriated in unbelievably delicious early morning outdoor breakfasts prepared by our wonderful innkeeper, Molly --

and we laughed, and sometimes we cried, and sometimes we were just quiet, we nodded, we celebrated, we shared, we joked, we told stories, we shared memories of days gone by, we talked of anticipating the wonderful years to come, we talked about our kids, and then we promised to not talk of them anymore, we shared work stories, church stories, family stories, and then - of course - we talked about our kids some more.

It was a weekend to remember.

Molly (our gracious Innkeeper) and the girls.

Comments

[Carey]

Sounds like you had a great time with some great friends. I hope you get to do it again soon and often.

[Rochelle]

John Leonard said, "It takes a long time to grow an old friend."

Sounds like this weekend would be the equivalent of using Miracle Grow.

Love you all!

[Staci]

Hey, Carey - it WAS a lot of fun. Friends are the best, aren't they? Rochelle, I think there probably was some Miracle Grow involved, even though C & I go WAY back. Like...23 years!

[Carolyn]

What a wonderful weekend. Memories that will be treaured for a lifetime. You are very blessed, my friend.

I recieved my book yesterday. Thank you! I will let you know when I'm done reading...shouldn't take me too long. The first few pages have been drawn in already!

Let me know what I need to do next:) Thanks!