I have this lovely friend.  We have shared many moments of laughter, tears and boredom together.  We have done silly things in our past lives and plan to make many more memories even when we live a thousand or more miles a part.

Sometimes I think she’s my soul mate.  Our dreams and joys are the same even if we live them out very differently.  Our faith is woven together by being sisters-in-Christ.

I secretly cry for her when it appears that she is frustrated or hurting and never admitting it.  I smile thinking about her sweet babies asking about us from their front room window.  I sigh sadness when I remember them crying as we left their home the last time we saw them.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10                         
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

Laughter, tears, hugs, college, weddings, cheers, babies, miles and miles and miles… But we never change.

Today’s Smoothie comes in a mug.  We’ll call it: Deliciousness in a Mug.  Why do I drink my smoothie from a mug this day? It reminds me of kindness from a friend.

Galatians 5: 22
The Fruit of the Spirit is… kindness…

Kindness…

She may not think it, but my friend is one of the kindest people you will ever meet.  She’s soft-spoken, loving, and selfless.  She a beautiful person with a beautiful heart.

This past February I celebrated my birthday.  I was 23 again.  Since my husband was gone I decided to have a Mom and Me sign-making party.  I don’t typically celebrate my birthday other than maybe dinner out with my little family, but I thought it would be fun to have a crafty event at my home.  I invited my mom since it was the theme, but I also invited some friends with dear little ones to have some fun.

My sweet friend not only brought her daughter but she brought her mom as well.  She also brought me a gift.  Her daughter saw it as she was shopping for a card for my special day.  When my friend saw it, she thought it was perfect since we faced this cross-country move that took us away from each other… again.

Here’s my gift (with my smoothie in it).  When you lift the hat, the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” starts to play.  I think I probably didn’t show much emotion other than a laugh or two when she gave it to me.  I did love it and it meant a lot, but I have a hard time accepting gifts and an even harder time saying, “See you later” because it’s never “good-bye.”

Today I want to remember her as I sip my delicious smoothie.  She will soon start back at school.  She’s a brave Middle School Language Arts teacher.  She will start to rise before the birds chirp.  She will drive in pre-morning light to drop her babies at the sitter.  She will work all day, run after school clubs, pick her babies up for dinner time, put them to bed, grade papers, bed, and start all over again.

Respect.  It takes a special person to balance a career and family, but even more so to balance the future of many other children.

Cheers to you, my kind friend!  Enjoy a Raspberry Smoothie!  Deliciousness in a Mug!

Raspberries.  Another one of those fruits that I have a texture issue with.  BUT, blended, smushed, or baked and I am all about them!  They are one of my favorite tastes and in a smoothie, even better!

Deliciousness in a Mug
1/2 cup of each of the following:
Raspberries, Almond Milk, Plain Green Yogurt
2 packets of Truvia

Kind of great!