seeking: friends.

Making friends is hard. Especially when you homeschool. We have been on the hunt for some 10-ish year old friends who could maybe come alongside of us in this wild ride of life and learning together, and while we’ve got some promising buds, we’ve also had a ton of strikeouts. It’s affected our girl the most, and while I know this is tough for her, I’m trusting that when the time is right the Lord will knit together just who she needs for a season such as this. Just like He is doing for me. 

I told her to pass my number along to a friend she made in theater class so her mom could get in touch with us, and she was shocked at first. “Really? But you don’t even know her mom. Is that weird?” And I told her, “Yes, it probably is. But I love you, and I will give my phone number to strangers and make plans to hang out with them if it means we make friends.” She laughed, and was giddy getting out of the car with my phone number in hand. We are in this thing together, her and I. I’m trying to be as open-handed and honest with her all along the way, that friendship is hard but it’s a worthy fight. Even if it’s weird. 

Some people have too much on their plates, or too much they are wrestling with mentally, or too many children and too many destinations to get them to. And I get it, everything about friendship is an uphill climb, especially in the beginning AND when you already don’t have time. But the thing is, friendship isn’t extra… it’s a necessity. And if we don’t model that for our kids with our own grown-up lives, we lose that for ourselves too. 

Find your friends that are your safe place to land. The ones you can laugh with, that will still talk to you even when you’re grumpy and you’ve had a bad day, or that will go out to eat with you right after you’ve worked out and not make you sit at a different table. (😅IYKYK) The ones that will cheer for you, that will pick up things they saw in a store that just reminded them of you, or that will just listen when you’re crying and need to vent. And don’t forget to be that person for them too. Make white space in your calendar for them. Don’t wait until free time happens… CARVE. IT. IN. 

And when you see these friendships budding with your kids, call it special and fight for that too. Here’s to getting weird for the sake of building community! Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t, and that’s okay - but you’ll never know until you try.

Do what it takes to make a friend and be a friend. Be brave, be awkward, be available. IT’S GONNA BE GREAT! 😜