Making friends comes natural to me. I am an extrovert. But being an expat in an expat world with expat friends slightly changes that extrovert nature in me.
When I came to the Netherlands to join Bobby, everything was new here. But since Bobby was part of a church with his own set of friends, they became my friends too. And one such friend is Lingwei. We had an automatic connection, felt like we knew each other for years. We loved stationary and she was the only person I know and still know, who will be excited with me in a stationary store. Books, pens and papers and even paper clips excited us. She is Chinese but lived here most of her childhood. So she was'nt going anywhere. But then she met Matt, and long story short, she married him and moved with him to the U.S. That rocked my world. I had other friends here but she was my best friend. We kept in touch and send each other a book where we would write each other special things and paste photos... and even send each other pretty stationary things. After her, I was very cautious about making friends, knowing very well, they are here for a short time or would leave suddenly. It went completely against my character to be "Hi/Bye/how are you ?"type of friend. Years went by, and I learnt that I could not just stay that way. That friends come and go, but they remain dear and valuable, even if we speak once in a blue moon, and is vital to your seasons of life.
Here is where I am and here is where I need to impact others and be impacted by others. So, I commit to new friends and give them all I have. And they bless me and my family more than I can imagine. They are part of what makes life interesting and meaningful. We can't say no to community. Even for an introvert.
Here is where I have learnt to nuture and value the relationships in my life.Here is where I have learnt many times on how to accept them they way they are because they love me the way I am.
I am so blessed to have a select set of really close women, whom I love and can go crazy on them. Can corner them and force them to tell me whats wrong. Can just laugh ridiculously for no reason. Make special "death by chocolate " dates. Who just know you need a hug without words. And also blessed with select few who are so far away, yet freshly close to my heart.
As I prepare my heart, yet again to say good bye to one crazy lady, who hates it when food touches each other and spends at least 5 minutes separating them on her plate, who introduced me to this space on blogosphere and the world of Pinterest without her knowledge, who calls me "friend " with so much love and kindness in her heart, I continue to learn new things about her, continue to be blessed by her words and actions and continue to behave as if she is going to be here forever. This friendship is not going to end because of geographical distance. Friend, you are stuck with me for life. Here and there.
When I came to the Netherlands to join Bobby, everything was new here. But since Bobby was part of a church with his own set of friends, they became my friends too. And one such friend is Lingwei. We had an automatic connection, felt like we knew each other for years. We loved stationary and she was the only person I know and still know, who will be excited with me in a stationary store. Books, pens and papers and even paper clips excited us. She is Chinese but lived here most of her childhood. So she was'nt going anywhere. But then she met Matt, and long story short, she married him and moved with him to the U.S. That rocked my world. I had other friends here but she was my best friend. We kept in touch and send each other a book where we would write each other special things and paste photos... and even send each other pretty stationary things. After her, I was very cautious about making friends, knowing very well, they are here for a short time or would leave suddenly. It went completely against my character to be "Hi/Bye/how are you ?"type of friend. Years went by, and I learnt that I could not just stay that way. That friends come and go, but they remain dear and valuable, even if we speak once in a blue moon, and is vital to your seasons of life.
Here is where I am and here is where I need to impact others and be impacted by others. So, I commit to new friends and give them all I have. And they bless me and my family more than I can imagine. They are part of what makes life interesting and meaningful. We can't say no to community. Even for an introvert.
Here is where I have learnt to nuture and value the relationships in my life.Here is where I have learnt many times on how to accept them they way they are because they love me the way I am.
I am so blessed to have a select set of really close women, whom I love and can go crazy on them. Can corner them and force them to tell me whats wrong. Can just laugh ridiculously for no reason. Make special "death by chocolate " dates. Who just know you need a hug without words. And also blessed with select few who are so far away, yet freshly close to my heart.As I prepare my heart, yet again to say good bye to one crazy lady, who hates it when food touches each other and spends at least 5 minutes separating them on her plate, who introduced me to this space on blogosphere and the world of Pinterest without her knowledge, who calls me "friend " with so much love and kindness in her heart, I continue to learn new things about her, continue to be blessed by her words and actions and continue to behave as if she is going to be here forever. This friendship is not going to end because of geographical distance. Friend, you are stuck with me for life. Here and there.
I love this post! It is hard to get out there and be friendly right after a special person moves away. It is such a great thing to remember how important friends are and to know that we can still be close even when one moves away. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBe blessed,
Kimberly
visiting from FMF
Really like this, thanks for sharing.
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