Today I visited a friend who I haven’t seen for about 15 years. We were neighbors a long time ago and had a great little community. When I moved back to the area a year and a half ago, we kept saying, “We need to get together!” Things seemed to get chaotic here and with her family as well, so we never set an actual date. I got in touch with her this week and said it was time to make it happen. She invited me over for “grandbaby day”. Her 5 grandchildren come over to her house for the afternoon along with their parents and other family members. I was excited to see the little ones in real life that I have seen only in pictures. My friend and her husband moved in with her parents about 10 years ago – just a short while before her father passed away. Her mother, who is now in her 90’s, remembered me and asked about my kids. She has good days and bad days, but is holding her own. My friend’s sisters and niece were there and 3 of her grandchildren. After a while, her daughter and husband, and the other 2 grandkids showed up. It was so much fun to see the antics and personalities of the 5 little ones all under 4 years old. A couple of them have had extensive medical issues and surgeries already, but you could see their determination. When I moved away, my friend’s children were in grade school. To see them all grown up with children of their own was pretty awesome. The whole family has always been very close. Catching up with them all revealed that is still the case. They have all had struggles like everyone, but they all support and love one another no matter what. We were lucky to have neighbors like them and I felt abundantly blessed to be able to spend the afternoon with them. It was just like we used to be, only one more generation was added.

I Found God today in the loving, constant family relationship and seeing my old friends.