The Language of Friendship

Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them....Francesco Guicciardini

I was visiting with someone this past week who I have known for many, many years....We were discussing the difficulties in life and how when certain trials come our way, everyone wants to be your BEST friend.  ................ Is their motive based upon the fact that they really care about you, or is this person a {friend} that is mostly concerned with the details of what is happening????

Our conversation was mostly based upon the realities in life....

As we were leaving, she made a comment that went something like this...{ We all interact with numerous people on a daily basis and our relationship with each of these people varies greatly.  Take you and I for example.....We have known each other for a very long time, but I would not say that we are {FRIENDS}...we are more like acquaintances.  If time allows the next time we see each other, we may visit or we may not.  We may just wave at one another or just say HI...and that will be it} {On the other hand, if we were FRIENDS, we would see or call one another on a regular basis...We would spend time with one another and we would always have something to talk about} ..... 

While we do only see each other a couple times a year, I still consider her my friend.  She is a super sweet person and I always enjoy visiting with her.  We are Friends!

 ~   I don't know.. somehow, the word acquaintance just doesn't sound very personal to me.   I do have acquaintances in life, but these people fit into a  completely different category from my friends! ... Is there some kind of word that fits between Friend and Acquaintance?     BFF'S......BF'S.......FRIENDS.......??????????.......ACQUAINTANCES.

I never see or hear from most of the people that I graduated High School with, but I  believe that after 12 years of being connected to one another day end and day out, this qualifies us as friends.

And then, what about FACEBOOK?  I have over 600 people listed as friends and Sam has more like a 1000 people......does FB have it wrong?  Should there be a place that allows you to invite acquaintances to join you for conversation rather than friends?

It is true....We all have BFF's...we may even have BF's.... But for me...I also have FRIENDS!    I have friends far away, I have memories of friends, I have a husband that is my BEST-EST friend and two daughters that are my BEST friends, I have forever friends, and I have wonderful Blogging friends.

So....if you just want to consider yourself as an acquaintance of mine, then you better make sure you let me know.....Otherwise, you are my FRIEND!

Shug Sez....

I am so Blessed to call you my friend!

The Colors of The Rainbow...so pretty in the sky!

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel.....
All claimed that they were the best....the most important....the most useful....the favorite!

Green said:  "Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope.  I was chosen for grass, trees, and leaves.  Without me, all animals would die.  Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."

Blue interrupted:  "You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea.  It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea.  The sky gives space and peace and serenity.  Without my peace, you would all be nothing."

Yellow chuckled: "You are all so serious.  I bring laughter and warmth to the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow.  Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun."

Orange started next to blow her trumpet:  "I am the color of health and strength.  I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life.  I carry the most important vitamins.  Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas.  I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you."

Red could stand it no longer...he shouted out:  "I am the ruler of all of you.  I am blood - life's blood!  I am the color of danger and of bravery.  I am willing to fight for a cause.  I bring fire into the blood.  Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."

Purple rose up to his full height:  He was very tall and spoke with greatness.... "I am the color of royalty and power.  Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me, for I am the sign of authority and wisdom.  People do not question me!  They listen and obey."

Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination:  "Think of me.  I am the color of silence.  You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial.  I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water.  You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace."

And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority.  Their quarreling became louder and louder.  Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening....thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly.  The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak: " You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest.  Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different?  Join hands with one another and come to me."

Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.....

The rain continued:

"From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace.  The rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow."

And so....Whenever a good rain washes the world, and a Rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another!!!

Shug Sez....

All it takes is a simple smile .....!

I Will Not Forget You...

"Even to your old age and to gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.    Isaiah 46:4

Every single day, my cry is "Oh Lord."

On any given day, I can count on my dad stopping by my house at 11:15 in the morning.  His life is surrounded by routine, and every day is the same as the day before,  with the exception of Sunday.  My dad is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's and as this disease attacks his mind, the cumulative knowledge and memories of a lifetime are gradually being erased.

This disease causes severe consequences for the person whose thought process in life is slowly slipping away from them.  It also causes stressful and overwhelming hardships on their family and friends. 

I was visiting with him this past week and I could see the sadness in his eyes and I could hear the weakness in his voice when he was trying his best to remember the names of his grandchildren.  Big tears were in his eyes and he just looked at me and said, "I don't know what is wrong with me."  My heart felt as if it were breaking into a thousand tiny pieces....

I asked God...."What can I do?....What if he forgets you Lord?"

Then, this scripture came to my mind...."I will never leave you nor forsake you"   Hebrews  13:5

What Great Comfort.......

No matter what shape our mind is in, God will never forget us!

Our salvation is not dependent upon the strength of any feeble or diseased mind! God does not close the gates of Heaven just because our memories are lost into a space of the unknown.

None of us know what the future holds, and if our minds are diseased way before our body gives up, then we can still rest assured that God will never leave....He will never forget....Praise God!!!!

Yes.....It is so sad to watch the memory of my dad fade away and to see the fear of the unknown on his face, but, I know ....God will be there to guide me, He will give me the comfort that I need and He will carry me when I can not stand alone.


Sweetest Blessings,

Shug

Simple Pleasures Of Life....

Cherish Life's Simple Pleasures.......this is exactly what I have been doing...and what I plan to do the rest of the weekend!

I'm so glad you stopped in to visit me today...sit back and relax while I chat about the simple pleasures of my life!

I am so glad to have my hubby back home...He made a trip to the San Antonio area this week to cut Fig cuttings......This is really a hard job because you have to be so careful not to let the milk from the cuttings get on your skin...I know from experience, that the milk will cause big blisters on your hands and it HURTS!  (Simple pleasure #1....having my true love home safe and with me)

I have walked a total of 5 miles this week...OK...so I know this is not a lot for some of you, but for someone (ME) who is not in the habit of walking, this is GREAT!!
Sam walked two of these miles with me and we had the best conversation.  Have you ever heard this statement before?..."opposites attract"
New studies show that this is not true, but let me tell you they simply do not know everything.  Sam and I are as opposite as two people can be and we are extremely attracted to one another!
This was the main topic of our conversation...We were trying to figure out how we could be so different from one another but yet be sooooo In Love!!  (Simple pleasure #2....Enjoying a walk and sweet conversation with your hubby....)

I am now finishing up Chapter 3 of my book that I am writing.

I love writing and I really think that what I have to say will be a great inspiration to a whole lot of people....Can't wait to finish the writing  (Could be a while)  and can't wait to get it published! (Simple pleasure #3...Writing is great therapy for me....makes me happy)

This is going to be a full weekend......Watching my grandsons play ball.....We have one playing Baseball and two playing Basketball....And, we have one granddaughter playing basketball as well.  We all love sports and this is a simple thing that we can do as a family. (Simple pleasure #4....I am one proud Shug when I see mygrandchildren playing ball.....They make me happy!)

This one will make you get down and giggle!   New Sheets!  Sleeping on new sheets makes my world go round.....A good comfy rest on soft sheets,,,oh my. (Simple pleasure #5...a good nights rest on new sheets) 

It really is not that difficult to find simple pleasures in life...

Shug Sez...

Get out there and find your simple pleasures today!