friends always welcome

my dear, dear friend Ania and her partner John came to visit us for a few days this week... what a joy it was to have them here!! Their visit was a blessing in so many ways that I am short on words to express the extent of gratitude I feel for their presence. Upon arrival they showered us all with gifts... spoiling both girls with beautiful outfits and toys that matched their hearts desires. Isabel now proudly owns a beautiful medical bag which she carries around to visit all her 'patients' (the many dolls and stuffed toys around the house). Ania & John bravely explored various parts of the city, made friends along the way, and never once let our cautionary tales slow them down from seeing something new. Their excitement and eagerness to wander into new areas was refreshing, and I loved hearing their stories at the end of each day... about delicious meals, people they met, and new things they wanted to see tomorrow. They approached each day with a sense of wonder that I am used to seeing only in my own children. In the evenings I felt totally spoiled to share tea (or wine) and warm conversation with them both... laughing about old memories, dreaming about the future, analyzing the way we do things, sharing stories about our daily lives. The time passed by far too quickly than I expected as I craved more chats with my dear friend. When they left I was filled with boundless gratitude for the time they gave us... it was the greatest gift I could have hoped for, at a time when I needed it more than I even realized. To have in my home a friend who 'knows my heart'... a friend I do not need to explain things to or build bridges with... a friend with whom I can be totally transparent... and just be. At their parting I was also left with a sense of emptiness... realizing with full force just how much I miss my friends, my family, my sounding board, my thermometer of reason. The gratitude far outweighs the emptiness... and it is a strong reminder of the things that matter most.

Thank you Ania & John... above all for sharing your time and for making our home feel more like home with your presence. What a gift you have given to me, to the girls, to our family.