The First Six Years of a Sisterhood
Sometimes there is gregarious giggling and peaceful playing, Lego or markers strewn between the two of you, and I can picture you growing up to be friends who call each other up to hang out.
Sometimes there is pushing and yelling STOP IT! because the two of you are so very different but with the same stubborn determination, and I raise my hands to plead with the Lord that these will be your worst fights.
Everyday I look at the two of you and see the toddler and baby you once were and imagine the women you might be. And I want to remind you both that the sisterhood you have is a precious gem that must be taken care of, polished and shined, so that it will add sparkle and vibrant colour to your entire lives.
Who Should I Invite to My Birthday Party?
Who should I invite to my birthday party? A decades-old question that is harder to answer than it is to decide on the right outfit for the occasion. Harder than pulling off the trickiest cake recipe, and harder to work out than what to do to celebrate! I’d like it to be small. I’d prefer it if people knew each other. I don’t want to offend anyone by not inviting them. It’s just too complicated and I’d really, genuinely, prefer not to do anything anyway.
As a Christian, I know God wants me to love others. And I want to do that widely and openly, without favouritism or exclusivity. But I also crave deep friendship. And I feel real tension about doing both of those things well. A tension that is brought home to me every year when I briefly contemplate the idea of getting a few people together to ‘celebrate’ my gradual aging.