I managed to go for a walk around the neighbourhood so it was good to get out into the fresh air. I really enjoyed working with Mr S these last couple of weeks. Our schedules mean that we often do housework at very different times but lately our "free" time has overlapped. It's been really nice to see how easy it can be to get the house clean and comfortable when there are two pairs of hands.
I noticed lately I haven't been keeping a list of what I need to do so that might be top of my "to do" list tonight. It feels like "Take Two" with my goals but I'm ready to prepare for the week and make the most of it. I think having breakfast before I go to work will need to be my priority this week.
I had a lovely lunch with a good friend this afternoon. She took the risk of inviting another friend over and I'm so glad she did. I'm not sure whether it's an introvert thing or a social anxiety thing but I noticed we can sometimes get almost territorial about our time with a friend, hoping no one else comes in on it and spoils our special time. I think it's because we treasure the opportunity to connect meaningfully and know that such opportunities are extremely rare.
Friend G had invited Ms C to our afternoon gathering and what a delight it was. She was a lovely person. Sweet, mature, intelligent, engaging. When Friend G confided that Ms C has only been living in this state for the last four years and has never experienced such loneliness in her life, I felt humbled. I was so glad we had been open to including her rather than limiting ourselves.
It also made me think about my goal to invite others over to our house once a month. For one, it reminded me how important it is to reach out to others and put our own needs aside for a while. However, it also reminded me that I have yet to actually invite anyone over and how lovely it would be if we did that.
I can really relate to this post, Rivergirl. I feel the same way about precious time with friends: I don't especially like meeting new people and my exchanges with friends are always meaningful and very personal. I always worry that including a stranger will change that--it's such a pleasure when a new acquaintance feels like an old friend. Most of my closest friends have been my friends since before I even started school--those that I've made later in life are so important to me and have enriched my life so much. I'm very thankful that I took the chance and got to know them better. I also decided to have people over more: we now have a couple families that come for BBQs etc. We are starting to feel that we have a village of friends around us and it is wonderful indeed. I hope you find the same :)
ReplyDeleteA very late thank you for your comments!
DeleteI hope you continue to enjoy those BBQs and the opportunities to spend time with others. I'm more determined than ever to initiate time with friends. Like you say, it's about taking a chance and the results can be surprisingly pleasant.