Dandelions

The days are slowly getting warmer and summer is just around the corner. And summer means flowers. I was delighted to go outside today and find my green yard splashed with little dots of yellow. Yes. Those little yellow flowers that pop up where you don't want them. The ones people call weeds. But that weed is my favorite flower. And here’s why.

I find that this world is often dreary and has way too much darkness and sadness in it. It is lacking in color and light. Dandelions literally change that. They show up everywhere whether you put them there or not. They spread and multiply to where you least expect them. Where they are most needed. They add a little splash of color and bring a little light wherever they decide to pop up.

I like to compare people to flowers. Every one is a little different and we all thrive in different places. But too many of us tend to act like potted flowers, ones that stay where they are planted. We only let our light shine where we're put, where we're told to. But nowhere else. Far too few of us act like wild flowers or, even better, dandelions who show their light everywhere, even in the dreariest of places.

This world is in desperate need of some light. I think we should all strive to be like dandelions. We should strive to show our shining light wherever we go. And even though people may like to mow us down, and may even consider us weeds because we are not welcome there, we should not give up. And like dandelions we should pop right back up again. We need to stop only bringing light where we’re comfortable. We need to pop up everywhere and bring light to the whole world. And hopefully, like dandelions, our little light will spread and multiply through the people who see it.

And maybe now when you see that little yellow flower show up in your yard, you won’t be so quick to mow it down. Let it share it’s light with you.

Be a dandelion today and every day!

 

 

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Maintaining Friendships

I went for a walk today and came across an old cabin. It's falling apart. The roof is covered in moss, the windows are old, and all the wood is rotted. And I’m pretty sure there's a hole in the roof from when a tree fell on it in a storm a few years ago. And that’s only what I can see from the outside. I've never seen the owners there and they refuse to sell it. Soon it will reach the point of no return and it will be too late to try to fix it. Where am I going with this? It made me realize that friendships are like houses. And friendships that are not maintained can, and will, fall apart like that old cabin will.

People these days take friendships for granted. Maybe I’m weird, or maybe just old fashioned, but I take my friendships very seriously. And not just friendships, but relationships of any kind. I have seen more than my fair share of relationships fall apart and that makes me very much aware of when it's happening. Sometimes they just crumble all at once, like a storm completely destroying a house. And sometimes it happens slowly, just from lack of maintenance.

So what does it mean to maintain a relationship? It means that you can't just leave it for months and expect it to be exactly the same when you come back. I know some people have that special bond, that you can go forever without seeing each other; and then when you do, it's like no time has passed. But that is rare. And that depends on how strong your bond is before that long time passes. It depends on how strong the house is before you leave and how long you leave it.

Maintaining a relationship also means that when things do start falling apart you both need to decide it's worth fixing. And then fix it. If too many things start falling apart then eventually it will reach the point of no return. However, a friendship is never completely beyond hope if both people agree to rebuild it.

So how do you fix those things before it's too late?

Talk. Talk it through. We are only human. We can't read minds. Your friend will never know what you're really thinking without you telling them. A nice long conversation is always a good idea. If you refuse to tell your friend anything, whether it's your feelings or just things about yourself, the friendship isn't going to go very far. There's only so many things we can avoid and ignore before there's nothing to talk about.

Listen. Listen to what your friend is telling you. Really pay attention and listen, not just hear, what they are saying. A friendship is a two way street. If you expect your friend to really listen when you talk, you should be doing the same for them.

And do something. Sometimes words are not enough. Physically doing something will mean so much more. Doing things for and with each other shows that you are willing to sacrifice the time and energy for them. It shows how much they mean to you. Plus, it’s an opportunity to make more memories with each other. I don’t know about you, but I believe a friendship needs to be more than just texts and phone calls. Physically seeing each other and just spending time together is what makes all the difference.

The secret to having a good friend is being a good friend. You both need to maintain the friendship. You can't just take it for granted and expect it not to fall apart. Life happens and storms come. We can't stop every storm. But we can try to fix the damage.

Peepers

A couple nights ago when I was driving home I was suddenly compelled to roll down my window. Over the sound of my mother talking to me and the music playing I had heard something I had been waiting for all winter. The peepers were chirping. And it was perfect timing as always.

Ever since I was really little I have known the sound of the peepers. They come out in the summer time when the air is warm and those clear summer nights have begun. I have fallen asleep to their soothing noise, a gentle chirping sound. And until a little while ago I had never ever seen one in the wild before, and not for lack of trying. The night I saw him it was raining; a fall chill was in the air. I was getting ready to go to bed. I went to check that the front door was locked and was met with a pleasant surprise. A little frog was hanging out on the window. He wasn’t making any noise, but I knew what it was right away. It was a peeper. He was so little and cute. His little neck moving so fast, as if trying to make noise but failing to do so. His little eyes, mesmerizing. His sticky feet holding him to the window so tiny. Something so simple, but yet, so amazing. Seeing that little frog made me realize how important such a little creature has been in my life.

That little frog has brought me peace many times. When I’m home it is a comfort. Something you don’t realize you miss until you don’t have it anymore. And when I was in Roatan, so far away from home and comforts, that something familiar was sorely missed. But then we hear something unexpected as we drove back from dinner to our rental house one night. We rolled down the car window and listened to that familiar chirping sound. And we laughed as we realized they didn’t sound quite like the peepers we had at home. It was like they had an accent. And I listened to those Hondurian peepers as I began to drift off to sleep and I knew it was going to be ok. And when I was in Virginia Beach last summer, a trip of many questions and not enough answers, I sat out by the beach one night, wondering what I was doing there, and realized I heard something I didn’t expect to. Those little peepers were chirping their song. Letting me know it was going to be alright. And as I sat in the car the other night, at a time when I was worried about what my future holds, I started to hear that choir of chirping little frogs and knew everything was going to work out just as it’s supposed to. As long as I can hear the peepers, I know I’m going to be ok.

The song of the peepers is like God’s way of reminding me that He is always there and it’s going to be ok. Whether it’s with their little Hondurian accents in Roatan, their slightly southern accents in Virginia, or the peepers here at home, as long as I can hear them I know I have nothing to worry about. Sometimes God uses something unexpected to remind us that there’s nothing to worry about, that He’s in control. Sometimes it’s something incredibly simple. Like a little choir of frogs singing at night. The next time you hear those little chirping frogs, sit back, take a deep breath, and listen to them. Then remember that whatever is troubling you, God is in control and it will all be ok because the peepers are still singing their song.

 

Never Grow Up

"Never Grow Up" That's been my motto for as long as I can remember. I've been a Peter Pan Girl since I was really little. I’ve lost count of how many Peter Pan themed birthday parties I’ve had. And I’ve seen and read nearly every rendition of the Peter Pan story that exists. I've even said that I don't want to marry prince charming, I want to marry Peter Pan. Someone who knows how to have fun and stay young at heart. Peter Pan is the definition of my childhood and I have always said it will also be the definition of my "adult hood."

So, as you can probably imagine, finding that it was time for me to go to college, get my driver’s license, get a job, move out, was all quite hard for me. Every grown up thing I allow myself to do literally feels like a piece of the child within me is being ripped away. It is not a good feeling. So, when I was up late the other night finding myself getting excited about my future, well, it also started me thinking about that little girl inside who is nowhere near ready to disappear yet. And I don't ever want her to. Staying young at heart, but yet admitting that it is inevitable that you do need to grow up sometime, is a difficult balancing act. I know that I can't live with my parents forever and I need to get a job. But does that mean I have to “grow up”? Do I need to leave my childhood behind me and "act like an adult" all the time? Or am I allowed to still be a kid sometimes? It is important to be responsible. It's important to be able to take care of yourself. But is it not just as important to let the child inside come out and play sometimes? I think it is.

I still believe that it is possible to be a responsible adult but to always be a child at heart. Where it really matters. As I surprise myself by getting excited about my future and my adult life, my favorite Peter Pan quote comes to mind. It reminds me that the adventures, the fun in life happen in more than just your child hood. There are grand adventures in adulthood too. And life is the adventure. So, as I set off on this next great adventure, both the adult me and the child me both excited and scared, I remember that "to live would be an awfully big adventure" and living means growing up. It just doesn't have to be all the way...