Tuesday's Sunniest Spot

Tuesday is one of my favorite days of the week this year.  It is my day off!  It is the day that Eliana and I hang out. Hooray for Girls' Day!  Sometimes we make it to the YMCA.  On occasion, we do our weekly grocery shopping. Other times, we just chill at home - playing Barbies, reading books, singing, dancing, making up new forms of tag, taking pictures, making movies, playing horses, cleaning, or whatever else "inspires" us.  At least some time of our Tuesdays is spent doing our own things for a little while, but rarely out of earshot of one another.  Tuesdays are a treasure to me.



I attempted, unsucessfully to load a
video of Elly singing.  Here's a picture
instead.



This past Tuesday was a beautiful sunny day, the kind of day that allows for lots of sun spot sitting.  Eliana and I spent much of our morning enjoying the warmth streaming in while we read, took turns singing, and simply snuggling together while talking about all sorts of girly things.  Our special day was off to a great start and about to get even better.

At around 11:30, my long time friend - and best friend from days gone by - arrived with her daughter for pizza and a play.  While Abby and Elly laughed and giggled their ways up to Eliana's room, Becca and I settled into our sun spots and started gabbing.  It was like taking a long cool drink on a hot summer's day.

One might think that Becca and I spend lots of time together, the way we get on, giggling like our 5 year old daughters and ending one another's sentences.  But, actually, I don't see her very often at all.  In fact, since January 1988 when I moved from Minnesota to Indiana, I've only spent brief moments with Becca, not even on a yearly basis.  When I first moved away, we spoke on the phone frequently and wrote letters often, comforting one another over the "loss" of our best friends (each other) and sharing the latest and greatest news.  But as time passed, the phone calls and letters naturally decreased in frequency and other friendships blossomed.  This was a necessary transition that sometimes brought sadness, but also brought maturation and satisfaction...we survived and thrived in spite of the changing dynamics of a treasured friendship!

Despite time and distance, Becca has remained a subtle, but constant, presence in my life - even when I didn't fully recognize it.  At random times I would get a note or card from Becca, often just when I needed it.  She has always provided a listening ear or shoulder to lean on.  She is a great active listener!  Becca knows who I am, where I come from, and how I've been shaped.  She laughs at my dumb jokes, listens to my long stories, and understands the quirky things about me.  She knows I have little dancing skill, but when I mention a possible interest in taking belly dancing lessons for fun, she encourages me to check it out because "you'd be good at that!".  Becca also encourages me and challenges me as a parent.  We have a lot in common when it comes to parenting, which is a HUGE blessing to me.  We share faith, memories, and a love of chocolate.  It doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Perhaps the best thing about Becca and our Tuesday visit was that, in my mind anyway, there were no expectations.  No putting on airs or attempting to prove...just good conversation, laughter, and friendship.  Even the awkward pauses were not awkward.  They were just pauses.  I assume this is how Becca feels as well, though I could be wrong. (Gee, I hope I'm not wrong)  The really cool thing is that I know that if a month or two goes by before I see Becca again, our next experience will probably be the same.  And, although I have no need to recreate something that once was, I am glad that I have moved back to the area and near to Becca.  For while I love me a good ole sit in a sun spot, it is not nearly as good as a sit with a friend like Becca.  Becca was my Tuesday's sunniest spot.

ADDENDUM:  I wrote this last night, but decided to wait to post it until I could put these few pictures up.  In the meantime, over the past hour, I have been Skyping with another one of the amazing women in my life, Deanne.  Someday, I will write about her...she is like noone else I have met and is like a sister to me.  In light of the above topic and after talking with Deanne...and since I hadn't pushed PUBLISH POST yet...I felt like I just had to mention her.  My life would not be the same without knowing her. 

Happy Sun Spot Sitting!