I'm still here.

I just haven't had a lot to blog about this week. Just busy being an adult with adult responsibilities. So this post is very long in order to make up for lost time.

Is anyone else a little down because of all the depressing news in the world today? I'm trying not to worry (until I get my 401K statement in the mail), but it really is disheartening to hear all of the bad "stuff" in the news.

That's why I want to share something good. We live in a great neighborhood. We found it during our two day house hunt and it felt "right" from the beginning. I have made some very good friends here. That's saying a lot because usually I'm more of a keep to yourself kind of person, mainly because I was a working mom for so many years. These friends/moms help each other out through last minute babysitting, meals when surgeries occur, babies are born, a mother-in-law is going through chemo (they did this for me). We genuinely care for one another. Despite the fact that so many of us have our own "stuff" we're struggling with daily. They range from a child with learning disabilities and the mom's heartache at having to comfort her child as well as fight for her in the school system. One has a best friend that has stage 4 breast cancer in the hospital because she has become septic and she has a two year old son that clings to her. Another had a coworker that killed himself last week, on his birthday no less, a day after seeming fine at work. Sorry to plant more bad "stuff" in your minds! Life is scary. The older we get the more we have to deal with and it is overwhelming at times. It's comforting to have your "people", a label I borrow from Grey's Anatomy, when you need them. Your people, and a lot of prayer.

This brings me back to the good I was going to mention. One of my mom friends is from Massachusetts and has a very good friend there whose husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis only two months ago. He literally cannot speak now and is paralyzed on one side. They have two young sons, like me, and the mom is a stay at home mom. Can you imagine the last two months for this family? The future months for this family? My friend in NC is devastated and wanted to ask us for items for a yard sale the friend's neighborhood in MA was arranging so proceeds could help this family. Or for any ideas on how to help this family. This email just happened to come to us a couple days before our monthly Bunco night. Another friend suggested we donate our Bunco money to this family instead of playing that night. Usually we have about 10-12 people come and I've even missed a few lately, but I was pleasantly surprised to count at least 20 people there on Thursday night! My friend tried to thank us all, but couldn't get the words out. She cried, we cried and it's just one of those moments you bond with other women. I don't even think it was the money. It was the sense of feeling for this family and feeling for our friend who is hurting as a result of this diagnosis. I got to speak to the other friend who has the friend with breast cancer. I think it helped her to talk to me about it and then I shared something with her that I've been struggling with over the last month. I can't blog about it. Just some surprising news I received recently. Don't worry. I'm fine now. Family is fine. Point is, sometimes a spouse or parent can't help in some situations when a friend can. Don't take friends for granted. A good friend is one that, when time passes, and you speak to them, things begin right back again effortlessly. I have several friends like that. And don't forget that there is still a lot of good in the world despite the portrait often painted in the news.

My kids drive me crazy (often), but I look in their faces and I see innocence, hope, joy, a future yet to be determined and it makes me happy that they have a while longer before they get entangled in their own adult lives. Until then, it's up to me as a parent to teach them right from wrong, to be KIND and to have good, loving hearts. God entrusted me with their lives. It's an awesome responsibility. Are you teaching your child to be kind? Are you being a good friend? Just something to think about this week.

I should have given assumed names to all the friends I mentioned. I hope this wasn't too confusing to read!!