Thursday, November 13, 2008

Gratitude Challenge: Day 13

Today I'm thankful for my friend Judy. She was the first friend I made when we moved to Colorado. We had moved into our new house during the summer of '97. I birthed me a Thing soon after and by Christmas I was feeling rather isolated and lonely. New baby, no friends: yeah, I was just a barrel of laughs back then. So, I baked some cookies and started knocking on doors. Inviting neighbors over for an open house the following week. The day arrives and at first nobody comes...finally, the lady from across the street comes scurrying over and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Judy"....and well, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Judy and I are very different...
  • She's raising girls, I'm raising Things of the male variety

  • She's from California, I'm from the Midwest

  • She's not always on time, and I'm frantic if we're even running slightly late

  • She's a Go Navy gal, and I'm a Beat Navy gal

  • She's over the moon with excitement about our next president...and well..you get the idea, right?

But what I've learned from Judy are things that transcend these differences. From her, I"ve learned the importance of stopping and enjoying the moment. Her girls are just a tad older than my guys (oh yeah, baby, that added perk of handy babysitters is also a blessing indeed). And as I watch her raise those girls, I'm constantly reminded to celebrate the process of parenting. Not every day is perfect, no stage is without heartache, but find the positive and run with it. Judy is the master of this technique and I try hard to follow her lead.


Thank you Judy for always being there! You are indeed one of the best...and my life is richer thanks to you being a part of it!


3 comments:

ganelle said...

Good neighbors are priceless - especially in those at home with little-bitty ones days!

Dodi said...

Mrs L could have her own TV show - - Everybody Loves Judy! It's true!

Joan Robertson said...

Aw Martha, I want to give you a big squeeze! What a very kind thing to say, so thoughtful.