The comfort of friends

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Tell us about a time when a friend comforted you in the past.  What did he/she do that made a difference?

When I read this question my first thought is "does it have to be just one friend? Why do I have to pick?". The I remembered this is my blog and I can interpret the questions any way I want to. So here we go:

My mom, who is my dearest friend (aside from the hubby) is not comfortable with strong emotional conversations or displays so her attempts at comfort are more practical. In fact I have often joked that if she resorts to telling me that she loves me, things must really be bad! She does love me, of that I have no doubt, she just doesn't say it. More often than not, when I am being emotional she will suggest a cool wash clothe for my face, some Ibuprofen for my impending headache, and a nap. After all, life always looks better after a nap!

My sisters both live far from me, so their comfort usually comes in the form of Facebook posts and phone calls. If I even hint that someone has hurt me they are lining up to kick butt! It is a nice feeling, knowing your sisters have your back! I wish we lived closer (especially this week) but regardless of the miles I know that they will always be there for me.

I have this one friend, Brenda, whose comfort comes in the form of listening and asking questions. Who, what, when, where, and why? Sounds kind of annoying, but really it's not. Her questions help me to focus on the real issue, not my reaction to it. She helps me to dig down deeper to find the root of the problem. And she is always honest in her opinions, if this is something I did wrong she will let me know, if it's out of my control she will tell me. I find this helpful since I tend to take all the world's problems on myself. I need someone to tell me when I am not to blame!

Of course, there is my husband. I feel like I have written about him a lot lately. I hope I am not boring you. I also hope that I am not giving you the impression that our marriage is perfect. Because it is by no means perfect. We struggle, we fight, we frustrate each other. Sometimes that is just what marriage is, a struggle. But even at our worst, if I need him he is there. His comfort comes in the form of soothing words and just listening to me as I try to find my way back to center (he spends a lot of time talking me back from the edge of panic). He has that gift to be able to comfort me by just being there.

Wow, looking back over this list I can see how truly blessed I am. God has placed so many wonderful people in my life, these folks are just the tip of the iceberg. My life is full of great people!!