I Miss My Peeps

I miss my peeps.

According to my daughter, I am not cool enough to use the word "peeps" in any form--written or verbal. But I shall. And I am not referring to the marshmallow treats that adorn the store shelves this time of year--although I like them too.

There's a random group of us that gather on Thursdays for lunch and occasionally for a girls night out. We are a very eclectic mix of personalities and the cast of characters fluctuates with part time jobs and life demands but anytime we are together, we pick up right where we left off. I am the oldest of the group but have learned so much from them. We've helped each other through our children's teenage drama, aging parents, marital ups and downs, and a broad range of woman issues too delicate to mention here.

Varying Spring break trips and busy lives have gotten us off schedule now for nearly a month. I'm ready for life to settle down and get the next lunch date scheduled!

I read this phrase in an "inspirational" booklet the other day and it made me think of them:

There's no problem

that friends cannot

confront,

combat,

plot against,

ignore,

make fun of,

drown in chocolate sauce

or run over with the car.

Smile. Is it Thursday yet?

Save Yo Drama for Yo Mama

There were things that I was looking forward to forgetting when my daughter graduated from high school. Like drama--girl drama, that is.

So when a friend mentioned that her 8th grade daughter had high school cheer try-outs last week, I experienced a little post traumatic stress syndrome.

Four years of

cheer try-outs,

dance captain selections,

show choir try-outs,

musical try-outs,

solo try-outs.

Not that girl drama was confined to sports and performing arts.

Lunch table selection

Student council elections

Sleep overs

Homecoming dance, Women Pay All dance, Prom (pretty much anything that involved a date)

I was thinking that it went away with graduation. Apparently not.

College Roommates

Sorority recruitment

Spring Break

Old friends vs. New friends

And if you watch the Real Wives of OrangeCountyNewYorkAtlantaDCBeverlyHillsNewJersey

(none of which are HOUSEwives or REAL), it does not appear to be something one outgrows.

But we can. And we should.

Forgive often

Love One Another

Practice Grace

Turn the other cheek

Do not repay evil for evil

And that is a lifetime pursuit.

She's Somebody's Daughter

Her eyebrows and lips were heavily pierced. She had a fuschia streak dyed into her brunette hair.

I wanted to roll my eyes at her appearance but I thought...

She's somebody's daughter.

The sales clerk engaged her in a conversation regarding what she was looking for.

"Green, sexy panties" was her reply as she held up a tiny thong that could hardly be considered underwear. She appeared to be young--maybe just 18 or 19, the age of my own daughter. "Hmpf" I thought.

Then I remembered....

She's somebody's daughter.

"It's St. Patrick's Day and I dance at Woody's tonight", she said.

My heart sank

and tears came to my eyes.

Woody's is the local "gentlemen's" club.

"She's somebody's daughter", I grieved.

Somebody who probably never envisioned that her lovely child would have multiple piercings and pink hair.

Somebody who never thought her little girl would grow up to dance half nude.

Somebody who may be on her knees praying this very moment for her daughter.

And because I'm HIS daughter and He is the only one who can redeem any of us from the pit (no matter what that looks like), I will pray for somebody's daughter.

Lord, give me a heart of compassion and not judgement when I see those who's outsides reflect pain on the inside and give me sensitivity to those who's pains are all hidden on the inside.