When I was young, I was in Girl Scouts for one year. It was a pretty good experience overall- I liked earning badges and wearing the uniform. Hated selling cookies but pretended to like it because everyone else seemed so excited about "cookie sales". Anyway, the one thing I learned in Scouts that I never forgot was this little song:
"Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver and the other gold."
As my husband will tell you, once I learn lyrics, I can't forget them even if I want to. So, I taught the song to Emma one time when she was sad about having to make new friends in school and just wanted to keep her old friends. (She found that whole lesson irritating, by the way.) Today I found myself humming the tune. Sort of out of the blue, but I realized I have been really thinking about my friendships lately. I am in a new season: I have older, established relationships that are good and healthy, but I rarely see due to distance or our recent church change. Then I also have brand spanking new "I don't know your history or even your address" friends at my new church that I want to develop. Plus I have sweet friends I work with I want to maintain and invest in. So, as there are only 24 hours in a day, and I currently spend a large portion of those working, sleeping, being with my family or (let's face it) blogging- well that only leaves so much time for getting together with people.
It's a dilemma. Can I hang on to all of them? And am I supposed to? I really don't love the letting go in friendships, but I realize that there are very few relationships you can carry at a deep level your whole life. Most of them fall into seasons. Those were high school friends, college friends, friends from my old neighborhood, my old church, my last job. The problem for me I suppose, is once I love someone, even if it's time to transition into something new, I still love them. Which means I still want to keep up with their life, pray for them, tell their kids Happy Birthday, bring them dinner when they're sick, grab coffee- you know, be friends. Yep, it's a dilemma.
I'm not sure I've really come to a firm conclusion about who I hang on to, how I love people I don't see very much or what the balance is between silver and gold. For now, I just pray for all the amazing women I love. I thank God for the dilemma, because I feel blessed deeply to have so many friends. Today I had lunch with a new friend and got a voice mail from my oldest and dearest friend. Silver and Gold. Both good, both a grace from God.
Or for the Brain Regan fans like myself, both favorites.
"Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver and the other gold."
As my husband will tell you, once I learn lyrics, I can't forget them even if I want to. So, I taught the song to Emma one time when she was sad about having to make new friends in school and just wanted to keep her old friends. (She found that whole lesson irritating, by the way.) Today I found myself humming the tune. Sort of out of the blue, but I realized I have been really thinking about my friendships lately. I am in a new season: I have older, established relationships that are good and healthy, but I rarely see due to distance or our recent church change. Then I also have brand spanking new "I don't know your history or even your address" friends at my new church that I want to develop. Plus I have sweet friends I work with I want to maintain and invest in. So, as there are only 24 hours in a day, and I currently spend a large portion of those working, sleeping, being with my family or (let's face it) blogging- well that only leaves so much time for getting together with people.
It's a dilemma. Can I hang on to all of them? And am I supposed to? I really don't love the letting go in friendships, but I realize that there are very few relationships you can carry at a deep level your whole life. Most of them fall into seasons. Those were high school friends, college friends, friends from my old neighborhood, my old church, my last job. The problem for me I suppose, is once I love someone, even if it's time to transition into something new, I still love them. Which means I still want to keep up with their life, pray for them, tell their kids Happy Birthday, bring them dinner when they're sick, grab coffee- you know, be friends. Yep, it's a dilemma.
I'm not sure I've really come to a firm conclusion about who I hang on to, how I love people I don't see very much or what the balance is between silver and gold. For now, I just pray for all the amazing women I love. I thank God for the dilemma, because I feel blessed deeply to have so many friends. Today I had lunch with a new friend and got a voice mail from my oldest and dearest friend. Silver and Gold. Both good, both a grace from God.
Or for the Brain Regan fans like myself, both favorites.
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