Girls' Night

Last night my Bradley girls, Sally, Monica, and I went out for a grown up evening - one where we intended to talk about grown up things, but inevitably trailed off to conversations about milk letdown, teething, and daycare... things like that. Our two hour dinner date spilled over to a five hour dinner date with wine and dessert because, as it turns out, we didn't die from the extended separation from our precious babies. I laughed so much I cried and I realize that - WOW - I needed that!

I woke up this morning so refreshed and gushed to Paul about the fun we had. And then I got to thinking about something I am always doing to people. For some reason when I introduce new people I always introduce them and then quickly follow up with some tidbit that I think will get the two talking. For Paul I always say "This is my husband, Paul. He played football for Western." And for Sally last night I said "This is my friend, Sally. She is a vegetarian." The reason I said that last night was because I was introducing her to another vegetarian. And since I have only knowingly met two vegetarians in my life I thought this was truly remarkable. Surly the stars aligned last night so that the only two vegetarians in.the.world could find one another! So first let me apologize, Sally. I don't mean to introduce you like "Hi, this is my alien friend. She eats plants, runs a community garden, and uses cloth diapers." I just grew up in a family that each summer went to the fair, picked out a nice juicy cow, butchered that cow, and then ate the shit out of that cow! And I'm devastated even thinking about how a person could go a whole summer without cutting into a nice, bloody steak or without sinking her teeth into a juicy burger.

Far more important than meat, we were missing Sarah last night. Her mother-in-law passed away of a heart attack earlier this week. In her beautiful obituary I learned that she was a super kind, healthy, and loving woman, and her death is both a shock and a tragedy. I have been praying a lot for her family this week and thanking God for my own mother. My heart aches for them. That is the thing about making new friends. You open yourself up to a world of love and laughter, but you also open yourself up to share in their heartache. It is difficult to understand death even when I have such great faith God and His plan, but I pray that Sarah and Nate are able to cling to God for comfort. "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18