I am blessed with a lot of friends and even more acquaintances. I have some very old friendships - one in particular. She and I have been best friends since we were 11 years old! That was a few years ago!! We've been through a lot together - weddings, babies, and what I call the "3 D's" - death, divorce and diagnosis. We have each other's backs. But friendships that old are rare for a number of reasons. People move or just grow apart. More common are the ones that wax and wane over time. Also, there are those that are there for a specific reason or just for a season in your life. Every one of them special and unique and adding an integral facet to our lives - and us to theirs. As I get older, I appreciate my friendships even more. Today I had to have some dental work done and my babysitter couldn't make it. My dear friend (and business partner) Erin stepped in and watched my kids for me - and did it joyfully. She even kept them beyond the time that I needed her just so I could get some rest. It was a wonderful (and quite needed) break and a wonderful gift from a friend. How do we impart the beauty of friendship to our girls? It seems to have become so competitive in my daughter's world - how do we help them to see through that to the need that they will all certainly have for a real friend. How do we teach them to make good choices in friends - and how do we teach them to be good friends? Certainly our own example is the best teacher, but what else can we do to encourage this most important character trait in our young girls? I'd love to hear what you all think about this subject - and better yet, how you're handling this. We work with the girls at Healthy Girls on how to find and be a good friend - but we're always open to other suggestions. Thanks in advance.
