Friend, what does this word mean? According to one definition at wordreference.com, a Friend is:a person you know well and regard with affection and trust. What is a friend to you? As a little girl, my friends were the perfect people to roll down grassy hills with, play hopscotch, and make mud pies with. Friends would help administer “Cootie Shots”, when a yucky little boy, or any boy for that matter, touched you. We’d say we’d be, “Best Friends Forever” and dream about the day we’d have little girls of our own to dress up and play together. As I got older, my friends and I would have sleepovers and laugh and giggle about the tiniest little things, we would help each other with homework, and even made up our own “secret language”. In high school I helped a friend plot out the ultimate plan to get noticed by the boy of her dreams. When our “perfect plan” failed miserably, we then comforted and assured each other that: A. I was not a horrible friend for suggesting that she drown herself in perfume and act excruciatingly girlish, and B. The guy wasn’t nearly as cute as she thought, and was a big “meanie” anyway. My high school friends came in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and each had their own unique personality that made our friendship special.
As the years went on, I lost contact with a lot of my school friends, met the man of my dreams, got married and had children. Even though life as an adult has gotten to be so full of duties and responsibilities, I’ve come to realize that I should never be too busy to remember the special people in my life. My husband has become the ultimate best friend and loving support for just about everything to me, but I’ve also thought about those old school friends of mine, and wished I could say sorry for losing touch. Friends, after all, are the people who enrich our lives with love, companionship, comfort, support, and that is certainly a lot to be grateful for. Luckily, after a bit of searching I was able to contact a few of my old friends and thank them for all of the wonderful memories we shared, as well as apologize for not being more careful in preserving our friendship. Let me tell you, it feels very peaceful and absolutely wonderful to be able to re-connect with an old friend and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I never want to look back again and say, “I wish I would have been more grateful for having so and so in my life.” No Ma’am, not me. No matter how busy we get, we should always do our best to show our friends how much we care and appreciate them being in our life. How many of us remember to thank our loved ones’ for the lovely advice, hugs, and support they’ve given us throughout the years, and even reciprocate it as well?
Here are just a few simple suggestions that will help you get into the spirit:
Have a friend that is sick? How about making her a yummy little pot of chicken soup.
Did your cousin’s boyfriend dump her for another honey? Maybe a pint of her favorite chocolate ice cream and some kind words will help lessen the sting of love.
Did your husband patiently sit there and listen for an hour while you ranted about your day at work? Write him a simple note saying, “Thanks for listening, I love you!”
Have a friend whose thoughtfulness has helped you out in times of need? Call and offer to help her with anything she might be in need of.
Weather you call to say a quick hello, or write a short note saying you care, these little gestures and acts of kindness go a long way. You may never know how much this means to a person and it reinforces the beautiful bonds of friendship and love. After I was married, my mother gave me this wonderful piece of advice; she said that love is like a little flower that needs frequent watering and sunshine. If you don’t provide it with these things, it will wilt and die. If you do provide it with these things, it will blossom and bloom forever. This lovely idea can be applied to friendships, weather they are between you and your husband, or you and your neighbor. If you are gracious and kind to people, you will foster a beautiful relationship that will bloom far into the years. As Vintage Housekeepers we should not only make our homes scrumptious, but the relationships with our friends and family as well. Here’s to scrumptious living, the Brocante Home way. Cheers, and go hug a friend today!
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