fires, friendships

we went to dinner last night to a very cool southwestern-flared cafe that is a bring*your*own. my kind of spot. took molly and two of her gal pals and afterward, visited with friends we haven't seen in a while. i have known my girlfriend for most of my life as at one time, it was thought she'd be my sister-in-law. things didn't work out between her and my brother, but i adore her husband and he is truly a good and godly man, so i am blessed in this respect, too. even though i don't visit with them often, they are easy to be with and there are none of those guilt feelings for losing touch between us because life is busy.

her husband is molly's godfather and i am godmother to one of their daughters. if something should, God forbid, happen to this couple, we have been named as the guardians of their four children; we unhesitatingly agreed when they asked us, so long as we got their house and their built-in olympic-sized swimming pool.

it's all good.

i wish i could visit with them much more than we do, they are so easy to be with. however, their boys, now in 8th & 7th grade, respectively, have drawn the girls to themselves in such a way as my daughter's friends think of them as *hotties* - i said to my daughter, "please don't treat them like boys -- you've known them your whole life!" she responded by asking if she could treat them as she does her male cousin that is close to her age and i replied with an enthusiastic "YES!!"

we sat around their fire pit where they roast marshmallows with their children and friends and we drank wine and got caught up. we discussed everything from the recent findings of the Philadelphian Archdiocese regarding their priests (at which topic my friend went into the house because, and i am guessing here, her husband likes to bring this subject up a lot with friends...) to the fact that her oldest boy was called to the office because a student had their "my space" up on the computer in the library and failed to exit properly and his site was linked, along with 50 other students' and there was a lot of backsplash from the whole issue because of how provocative some of these children's *my space*s have become (i've seen such spaces and know this to be true).

there is something to be said about friendships that are deep and abiding, comforting and comfortable. there is warmth in the fire we sat beside, laughter at silly things because of the level of the friendship and knowing the person like a sister or brother. there was a lot shared in a short amount of time, but with the promise to get together over thanksgiving when her brother comes home for the holiday with his family, i left there warmed by more than the then-glowing embers.

my grandfather told me once if you could count on one hand the number of your friends, you would be blessed indeed. that was before he knew of the internet, where i have met people who have made me consider myself to be more than doubly blessed :)