Childhood Friendship

Don't you miss grade school days? When we are children we don't know how good we have it!

What I remember most about my childhood friendships is how deeply bonded our hearts became so quickly. 

There was Heidi. We were unlikely friends. She was round. I was so skinny I practically looked malnourished. But we were the best of friends in 2nd grade. We did everything together... we danced in ballet class together, swam all summer long together trying to avoid being eaten by a killer shark in the Colorado River (we had seen Jaws and were NOT certain sharks could not live in fresh water rivers), and religiously watched General Hospital at three o'clock every day right after school. Like Forrest says in Forrest Gump, we were like peas and carrots. We just went together. 

Having friends as a grown up is much different. For example...

...I have not one time snuck out of bed with a girlfiend at 2am so we can fix ourselves a bowl of ice cream and get away with being up past our bed times. 

...I am not best friends with anyone simply because they live on my street or because we happen to be in the same gym class together and both know how to do the splits.

... I have not ever sent my friend to tell a really "fine" guy (read, "hot", but we used "fine" when I was growing up) that I like him. Then again, my husband already knows that I do. 

... I don't hold hands and skip across the playground with my friends. Maybe I should. 

As a seven year old I don't know that I would have thought about certain concepts as they relate to friendships. Concepts like 

Expectations. 

          Gossip. 

               Cliques.

                    Perceptions. 

                           Forgiveness.

                                   Learning how to give and receive grace.

My relationship world can feel at times like the Twilight Zone. Other times it feels like a slice of Heaven right here on earth. 

What does it take to have incredible friendships? I like what Ralph Waldo Emerson said- 

The only way to have a friend 

               is to be one.

I think if we are all honest we want that. We want to have really great friends. And we want to be one. Whether or not it involves any skipping.

I invite you to come and begin to discover how. Join us for our next women’s forum on Tuesday, August 27th at 7pm at Calvary Chapel Church. We’ll be tackling this fun but challenging topic of personalities and friendship.