Amazing Weekend!

I had an amazing weekend visiting my oldest friend (other than my family members that I consider my friends) Jenn and I have been friends since the 4th grade and we remained friends even through the "I'm not your best friend any more" phases of grade school. It was Jenn that encouraged me to break out of my comfort zone and attend Purdue. Well, that didn't turn out to be such a great idea mostly because I realized, rather quickly, that I was a homebody and a University that large just didn't embody home for me. For others, it does. Jenn is one of those people that it does have that family hold for her. It could be because like, roughly, 40 members of her family have attended and graduated from Purdue in the last 55 years! Yeah, that helps a bit!

Jenn helped me quite a bit on those many days that I was homesick and got mono and then when I got pregnant. She and a few other special friends (whom I visited while in the Chicago area after not seeing them for 19 years!!) went with me to the Women's Clinic for my pregnancy test and helped see me through the next whirlwind month or two of figuring out what to do next. Seeing these friends again brought it all back to me and I was amazed at how much I have grown in the past 19 years. I know, duh! What I mean is I think we all assume we've grown and people tell us such but we (well I) never quite see it from our own perspective (you know, like a floating above observation)

I just lived that stressful and life-changing time in my life on automatic. My parents graced me with the gift of practicality. At times, being practical ALL the time can be a burden but at stressful times like this, it's a God-send!! I just figured others observed me in the same manner. I thought that they might have seen me as just doing what I needed to do to get things done. But, it was one of my Boiler friends that mentioned how much she admired the fact that I never once waivered from my principles and that I stood my ground and was determined to have the baby. In a world where we are pressured by many groups (that shall remain NAMELESS) that tell us it's "Your body!" and that an abortion will make the problem go away, I guess I can look and be proud of the fact that I held to my strong beliefs during that time.

At 19? I didn't know anything but I guess that's why I love my parents so much because their work was done to create the foundation so that decisions later in life would be less painful. Not pain FREE but less painful! I pray that I can lay this same foundation for my own children. I won't even get into the whole conversation of my struggles with Murphy lately. That will have to be for another post down the line a bit!!

So, I guess this rambling bits is just to share how much fun I had! Hanging out with Jenn and her husband (and their 3 kids) was a much needed break from the mundane in South Bend. I love my life - my kids, my family, my city, my house - but it is nice to have an opportunity to reboot even if the drama continues at home in my absence!! Thank you Jenn and John for allowing me to reboot and for making me feel so much at home!

I have to post one picture of their home as it is unreal in its beauty! The town is incredibly quaint and, if I could afford it, I would move there in a minute!


PS. Did I mention that I ate at a Chinese restaurant for the first time EVER? Yep, I felt so cool and, yet, so small town all at the same time!!