Silence is Golden

Sing with me if you know the song...

"Silence is golden, golden."

I grew up hearing this song when my mother was chasing away the chaotic atmosphere and again when in that rare occasion-she experienced actual silence. 

She sung it sarcastically when she couldn't fix the crazy times of life. She sung it sincerely with a hint of humor when the house was actually quiet.

Now, I am finding I do the same thing. I have sung the same words to my husband as our two sons are playing louder than a room full of cawing crows. It is hard to converse when they are so noisy. Harder to concentrate. I often long for a moment to speak without interruption or an opportunity to be alone with my thoughts...drift in dream land.

Yet-sometimes the silence scares me. 

 A part of me knows that there will be more silence then I care for when the boys are grown up and leave our home. And I loathed the times when I was by myself with my grieving heart after my mom died 8 years ago.

Perhaps, silence is not always golden.

Leprechaun Trap...rats, we didn't catch him!

We thought our trap was fool proof! Surely, the little person couldn't escape? I mean, we put a false path and he fell in a hold, was trapped in a box with no way to escape, right?

See the false path? The big clover and sequins are disguising the hole.

My boys wanted to finally see a leprechaun. I don't have the heart to tell them the truth yet. I know it is lying, but they are little only once...only vivid imaginations and make-believe for so long.
PERHAPS, if they hadn't set up a party for the leprechaun, who brought reinforcements (friends that is) then we would have caught one...finally!

Well, here is what happened instead of catching the wee, green people...

His vest and hair got left behind, we received a letter and a package that was a green treat (Pistachio pudding).

And he turned our milk green!!

Well, maybe next year. Either way, we had fun learning about Ireland and all the legends, myths surrounding St. Patrick's Day.   

First 2015 Post on...My Unique Friendships

I have a confession to make, not all of my friendships are equal. I am sure I will get an unhappy text for writing this, but there are some friends who will probably never reach the best friend status. It isn’t their fault. They may bear a different label, but I can’t live without them.

             

       The No-pressure friend. I bet you have one too. This is the kind of friend who doesn’t see you for at least a month or maybe a year, but doesn’t mind playing catch up. I have several friends who moved to this category without asking because we live so far away from each other, but I look forward to our long banters over the phone. I still feel loved and supported and in the end I cherish every one of them.

             

       The Play-Date Friend. I only get to hang out with this gal pal when we can get our kids together. We often meet at a park after texting all the information of when and where to connect. We weave our conversation in and out of distractions or interruptions such as when our children need a snack or want help swinging on the monkey bars. We may struggle to bond at times, but more importantly, we call each other friend.

The New Friend.  This comrade is similar to dating. It has the potential for more or it can cause a speedy trip to the nearest hiding place while repeatedly whispering, “What was I thinking?” While the process and time it takes to move a relationship from stranger to acquaintance to friend can be awkward and perhaps even painful, it is without a doubt a relationship full of hope. And she doesn’t know the real me yet!

The Wipe your Nose, Childhood Friend. Yes, you read that right. I might be the only one who possesses this kind of friend. Her name is Viviane. That’s all I am going to personally divulge about her because she has dirt, LOTS of dirt on me. I met her when we were 13 and in the 27 years and counting, we have witnessed each other graduate, date boys we shouldn’t have, attend college, discover truths about ourselves(whether we will admit them or not), get married, have children and learn to trust God even when it is most difficult.  And yes, she wiped my nose during my mom’s funeral. I know. Can you believe she did that for me? Really, she is family and I am barely scratching the surface of what makes her so special. I cannot and refuse to imagine my life without her.

Even though these relationships are less than perfect, even strained at times, I am grateful for them. Better to have any of the above friends then no friends or worse...only fair or foul-weathered friends-those are friends I can live without!