This picture is the only one I had readily available of my groomsmen and I from the wedding. It is a bad ripoff of a ska cover but it will have to do.
By some strange coincidence both of my parents are moving in the span of a week this month. This weekend we’re moving most of my Dad’s stuff and next weekend my brother and I are flying out to Vegas to meet my sister and her husband to help out Mom move from Vegas to Sacramento. In about an hour I’ll be at my Dad’s helping him move, and three of my friends will be there helping. Of all the family members involved in the move, I am the only one with friends that will be helping (with the possible exception of my niece’s boyfriend when we get to Sacramento).
This could turn into a very long-winded post so I’ll just keep it short. I’ve seen a lot of people who, as the years go by, have less and less close friends. Responsibilities increase, free time and the ability to just hang out decreases. I think this is “natural” given the kinds of lifestyles we live. I know I don’t spend very much time with my friends during this stage of my life, and unless I am intentional about it that won’t really change. I don’t want it to be that way.
Even at the height of a friendship, when you’re able to hang out all the time, I think it is the rare individual who will show up at his friend’s Dad’s place at 9am to help him move. The fact that I have multiple friends that are willing to do this speaks volumes about the kind of men they are. While I will not have particular fun during the task of helping my Dad move, I think I will actually enjoy it because I will be spending time with several of the greatest guys I know. This goes for my friends as well as my brother and my Dad.
I know the word “blessing” gets thrown around a lot but I really am genuinely blessed to have these guys in my life. I’m happy I can look at my wedding pictures and see all those men standing next to me, five years later, are still a big part of my life. They’re still the kind of friends I know I can call for anything, anytime. The kind of friends that wouldn’t just help me move but would come to help a family member move. Not everybody has friends like that at this point in their life and I am very grateful to have them, even as our lives change. I hope I can say the same thing five, ten, twenty years from now.
2 comments:
Ha, ha, now I feel real bad about calling in sick! But I know you know I've got your back.
For the record, had you told me of the event, I would have gone through the trouble of inventing a nice excuse.
Just, you know, to show I cared.
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