Let Your Acquaintances Be Many

First Reading

A reading from the Book of Sirach



Let your acquaintances be many,
but one in a thousand your confidant.

A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth.

A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy.



**** Just cleaning out files and came across a copy of the readings we handed
to all the readers at our wedding ceremony.
(Typed in large font, of course - I was way more detail-oriented back then).



Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant.


To dusting off old file cabinets!

Turning the Friend Switch On.

Today, my son turned the switch to "on" and he found a friend waiting.

***

Let me back up a few steps.

It had been more than a year since we put batteries in his walkie talkie.

But this morning, a lazy morning (at best)....his father decided to load

his walkie talkie with fresh batteries so that he could banter from his

upstairs closet to his "in-the-kitchen-little-sister" until he either had

nothing more to say or lost interest entirely.

Either way, this was a solid 20 minutes of play between the two of them

and we did what we could to encourage it.

But, seconds after the batteries were placed into the tiny machine, Dec

heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line.

And it wasn't his baby sister.

I listened with interest or rather a "What the....?" in my gut.....

It was his classmate (wha?), playing walkie-talkie with HIS baby sister just

across the lake.

When I first heard this familiar, yet strange neighborly voice come through the walkie talkie

I thought to myself, "what is the mileage range on those gadgets????".

And after completing a quick calculation, I realized that it was indeed, possible (though quite

a surprise) that

our son Declan had just intercepted conversations between his classmate

and his younger sister.

Just under two miles. And so, we were.

There is so much that I loved about this amazing discovery between friends - classmates:

"Declan, where are you standing right now?" questions. And the "What did

your baby sister dress up as for halloween?" questions.

So adorable.

So earnest.

So sincere.

So - clinging to every last syllable of every last response....

In fact, I really loved the awkwardness at the end of their conversation.

The "how do I end this.... " as they kept saying "goodbye and over-and-out

to each other.

But most of all I loved that this radio wave exchange was

mind boggling

powerful

had little to do with me arranging it

keeps my son wishing to talk on his simple walkie talkie even more

and reminded me *SO MUCH* of the MANY

simple discoveries that I made when I was young....

and I loved that it taught me that

It is amazing what you can hear

and, of what you will find

when you

decide it is time

to turn the friend switch on.

A DSI Can't Compete With This.

Just before Xmas of 2010, we asked Dec for a Christmas list.

More interested in getting him to practice his penmanship than actually directing

"Santa" in his Christmas gifting.

Then, the hubs and I sat down to enjoy a few quiet moments while Dec worked on his list.

We smiled at each other.

(We thought his listing would take longer than it did.)

Within a minute, Dec waltzed in and handed us a list.

There was a snarky smirk on his face. It reminded me of my second oldest brother.

His list.

Dec's list.

We were eager to read it because he'd just started the fine art of writing, and we weren't sure he could EVEN SPELL THE NAMES of the toys he wanted.

The hubs and I huddled together. This was exciting.

We unfolded it and read together:

The list was short.

Just one thing?

Number 1. DSI

My first thought: Oh, he can spell it alright.

Second thought: Uh-Oh.

The hubs and I looked at each other.

We weren't entirely sure, but kind of certain, that a DSI

was a hand-held video gaming device.

I won't go into the boring details, but after many conversations Dec eventually learned that Santa wouldn't bring that to this house, so he may as well do a "Do Over" Christmas List.

(Which he did -and well.)

So yesterday, I sat upstairs typing up a press release for work and found myself having to shut down my laptop and just listen to Dec and his daddy play "Cars" downstairs.

They do a complete Piston Cup race, with each car talking/shouting in the appropriate

accent - and I?

I just crack up listening to them.

I just crack up.

Dec has spent countless hours with his cars and his wooden JENGA racetrack. He beelines for these toys when he enters the house and puts up a MAJOR FIGHT when he's asked to pack them up before bed.

3 dozen racecars, a racecar track, jenga pieces to make the race course, and 1 enthusiastic dad to make every wise-crack joke,

every funny 1-liner,

and the goofiest Mater voice any of us have ever heard.

Though Santa ignored Dec's (FIRST) XMAS list last year....

I know Santa made the right decision.

A DSI just can't come close to competing with these magical moments

Dec has had with his simplest toys,

his wild imagination,

and his one goofy daddy who

makes silly soundtracks for every skid-out, flat tire, checkered flag, draft, and course record.

A DSI just can't compete with this.

Not this year, at least.

Old Friends.

I have spent some good and long overdue (like decades overdue) time with old friends this summer.

Dec and Nonie are perplexed by the idea that mom has friends. Mom has "non-family-member" friends. Can't blame them really. Nearly 100% of their days and mine, are spent with family. It is unusual when we spend time outside our DNA circle.

Are you sure they are not our Aunts that we're visiting today? Dec queries on our long car ride to my college roommate reunion. Despite his initial hesitation, I think he was quite pleased to find that my old friends showered him with attention and warmth. So much so that by the end of the night it felt like they were family.

2 hours into the party, the 10 years we'd just spent apart from each other had dissipated.

3 hours into the party, the college style antics and banter had commenced.

Old Friends.

Just the other night, in the midst of her east coast whirlwind adventure - a dear friend originally from Australia and more recently from Maine crashed upon our quiet house and entertained the kids to no end. The children were so smitten with her every move. Dec even offered up his most prized Cars toy and Nonie tried to stand in the bathroom with her while she showered. On her way out the door and back up to Maine, each child tried to out-do the other by quickly drawing pictures for her and shoving them into the half empty duffle on the front porch.

Old Friends.

These short, but sweet summertime visits have reminded me that I don't need more friends.

I don't really need new friends.

What I do need is to make time for the friends I have.

They make me laugh (really, really hard).

Just a few minutes with them and I learn a lot. A ton. About myself.

We have so much in common.

Dear Old Friends,

I am grateful for you.

On, Why We Relayed.

Three days ago, my family relayed.

Boy, did we relay.

And I'm happy to report, Nonie can relay with the best of them

We relayed for Stan and Nan, of course.

Two of the best of the best.

But, throughout the night, our hearts opened up. Our original tears for Stan and Nan, gave way to big, salty, stingy tears for Others.

Most, we'd never even met.

We relayed for all that we don't understand.

About cancer....

about life.

And, we relayed for the little boy

there in all the dusty and sunshine-filled corners of our world asking us to explain

that which we don't understand.

We relayed for friendship.

We relayed for those friends who don't have our matching shirt to morph them into our team.

And for those friends, who will wear the team shirt with oodles of pride if

only given the honor.

There is so much that we relayed for.

But as we flip through our pics from the memorable and emotional evening we realize that....

Above all,

we relayed for love.

And, we especially relayed for...

the mother-less children in the crowd

and the child-less mothers in heaven.

This is why we relayed.

Foe? Friend?

Today I ran. For the first time in some time. I ran. It wasn't pretty, but I did it.

I actually ran yesterday, too. But that doesn't count because it was about 20 minutes

in duration (sandwiched between Dec's game and The Hub's game) and it was all about

"getting back in time".

For the record I did:

...

Run.

And, get back in time.

***

For several weeks Dec and Nonie, The Hubs and I have noticed several holes in our lawn.

On special moments, when our backyard fills with excited "yelps!" the kids have spotted the chipmunk who built the holes scurrying back and forth between them.

"THERE HE IS!!!!!!"

"I SEE HIM! DO YOU SEEM HIM???? I SEE HIM!!!!!"

"OVER THERE, RIGHT THERE, no, RIGHT THERE!!!"

I've even had the privilege of making eye-contact with the Chipmeister.

He looks at me, cheeks full. Oh, so full.

We make eye contact and then he darts to the highest stone he can find.

HE STANDS on top of the stone as if declaring:

"This is My Yard, Back Off", and then darts to a hole and slips one full-story below us - in

a flash we're all wondering if he was real or not....

When I've made eye contact with that there Chipmeister - I've oft' thought:

My sunflowers this year are goners.

There is NO WAY they will withstand that cute, and cunning mammal.

I had flashbacks to the grand grey squirrels who rode my sunflowers in the breeze last summer - while nibbling on their sweet, sweet buds....

oh the horror.

So it surprised me today when:

***

I ran (literally, jogged) past a flattened chipmunk in the middle of the road just on the hill up by the lake and thought, "oh, no! is that MY chipmunk?"...

I actually felt my once puffed-out heart fall flat and lifeless alongside the flattened chipmeister...

That-there chipmunk may just be my foe

or rather,

my sweet & cunning friend.

It is bittersweet, this day is.

I'm sad to see him go.

But as, I watered the sunflowers this evening, all I could think was:

Live on, my sweet sunflowers. Live on.

R.I.P. McQueenie

McQueenie, you were a good friend.

The kids loved you.

I'm surprising myself by how sad I am that you're gone.

I don't know how I will break it to the kids.

Not sure you'll ever be replaced.

You, after all, put a smile on the faces of 2 pneumonia stricken children who hadn't smiled in days.

Thank you for that.

Thank you.

McQueen the fish....

Just a quick note to the newest member of our family: McQueen the fish.

Hi:
You've been with us for less than 3 hours, I hope you like it here. I hope the temperature of your water is okay, and that you like the orange rocks and the tree. Dec was really thrilled to pick those all out for you. I hope we haven't overfed you in these 3 hours - is once an hour too much?? We're just excited to have you as a guest.

You're our newest friend!!!

Dec is also so proud because he picked you. This afternoon. After being diagnosed with pneumonia and driving 45 minutes up the highway (at dinnertime) to the pet store....in the driving rain. That seemingly endless journey led us to you. The Beta Fish. The fish in the store that moved the LEAST. The fish in the store that looks like it got into a fight with all the other big fish in the store. Dec picked you.

Between you and me, you're the last fish in the store that I would have picked. And when they went back to put you in the travel bag, I was tempted to run back with the store employee and swap you for a different fish. One that moved more. But I didn't. Because Dec picked you.

My Dec took one look at you and knew instantly that you were to come home with us. I apologize for the bumpy ride. The twists and turns of Route 22. I apologize for being left on the floor of my car for a few minutes while I ran into CVS (to pick up prescriptions) and Wild Ginger (to pick up dinner). In the driving rain. Sorry, I thought Daddy was paying attention to Dec's "holding you". But, evidently, he wasn't.

I must say though, you've already brought Nonie so much joy. And no, I don't think she'll ever walk by your bowl and not say "Hi" to you. That "Hi" in her super sweet Nonie voice - that is why we bought you. So please, get used to it.

You've already brought Dec so much pride. Remember, out of all the hundreds (maybe thousands even), he picked YOU! You! The fish that doesn't move!

Please. Please stay around until tomorrow morning.

I promise that I won't let the kids line up all our fish toys outside your bowl (again). I'll hide the seal, I'll take away the scary Sharky's Sharks. Just stay 'til tomorrow. Please?!

Because, as I look at you this evening, in the fading light of my laptop, I realize:

Though we call you Dec's fish...

You're really my fish.