I miss my friends. All of you. Work (writing, teaching, mentoring, editing) has kept me far too busy since April, when my husband was laid-off his job. Since then, I’ve tried to generate as much income as possible, and my friendships have suffered. Slogging through a manuscript I’m editing, I hope you know I’d rather be standing over your shoulder nibbling a ginger snap, creating one of our dialogues, Kris. Or sitting around a fire pit, talking books, Heather and Mel. Or even, as I learned today, suffering with my friend Kathy whose young adult nephew was just killed in a motorcycle accident. Joni Earackson Tada, the Christian writer/artist sends me an automatic daily e-devotion that contained the perfect idea for me after I heard about the death. She said in suffering we connect with each other and God and that in this our hearts are pressed together.
It reminds me, for some reason, of the flowers I once helped my daughter and sons iron between sheets of wax paper. The blossoms would last a long time if we pressed them that way, but we had to be careful to only seal the edges of the paper and not burn it. If we used too high a heat, the whole thing would be ruined.
My friends are this way too–I want to press you all near so you’ll last forever but I must be careful not to get busy and forget to keep in touch. Please know that although I seem to be ignoring those I hold dear, I’m thinking of you. Thanks for putting up with me.