friends and family... saving grace

As I am experiencing the life of being a single mama I am blessed with a visit from two incredible friends... people who live life from the core of their being, people who are true to their values, people who are true.

Winnie & Oliver reading to Isabel... can you tell how happy she is?!?!

Winnie & Oliver came to visit for just a few days... following an amazing trip to the Galapagos. While it was disappointing that we could not do as many things as if Joshua had been around... the timing of their visit could not have been more perfect for me and the girls. Such a wonderful distraction... such a saving grace. Yet again i felt touched by angels.

Now Anaïs has two people chasing her... could this be any more fun!!

Especially in the solitude of life abroad, visits from good friends are so good for the soul. They can remind us of ourselves... seems an odd thing to say, but when living abroad I constantly feel I am sharing myself and yet not always being understood. It is perhaps a combination of the tentative nature of this life and the lack of history in the friendships that are formed. I had been so lucky when we first arrived with an instant friend... who sadly departed only months after we got here. And yet her presence in those first months was invaluable... more than i even realized at the time. She was my entire social fibre and emotional support in a transition that was more difficult than i had expected. And after she left it was like starting over... with all its ups and downs. Some people coming into my world for just a moment and others feeling so secure and yet disappearing without a trace. The fragility of it all at times becomes overwhelming. And the constant forming and reforming of new bonds... at times exhausting. Opening your heart... hoping that it is received and understood... sometimes it is, and sometimes it is not... never really knowing.

And then friends 'from the past' come to visit... people who have known you for years, people who seem to understand your heart and your values. People who may not always share the same ideals and yet you know you can be truly transparent and they will 'get you'. Wow!!! Sometimes it really is the little things that become the big things.

While they were here Winnie & Oliver spent time with us at the park and just 'lived our daily life'... taking walks and exploring the neighbourhood. One day they ventured out downtown only to get stuck looking for a taxi... took them nearly two hours to get home (welcome to Bogotá). The next two days they were happy to stay closer to home... they had done their travelling. I am beyond grateful for their visit... and their impeccable timing. We love you both.

A rare photo of Mama & Anaïs together. Thanks Winnie & Oliver!!