Around Here

I didn't get around to finishing up the post I had planned for yesterday. It was big, deep, and personal. It was all about lessons my parents and their marriage had taught me. I haven't finished since I have been pretty busy this past week. To me, family and friends' families are important, so I put blogging on the back burner to help a friend with his nieces.

This past week has been filled with all sorts of fun. There was exploring in the woods, ice skating, snacks, Candyland and other board games, crafts, My Little Pony, Disney movies, and snuggles. They are such sweet and well behaved girls and I will jump at the chance to spend time with them again. 

Someone asked me how I could sign up to watch two little girls I barely even knew for a week. The answer is simple: Because I care. I care about my friends and their families. The way I show I care is by being helpful, by serving them in a time of need. I have a helpful heart. It is a trait I have always had and is a trait my parents helped to nourish. 

My parents were a great example of people that care for close friends as if they were family. Although my parents only had four children biologically, I was raised as one of eight children in our house. The parents of those four other children had fallen on rough times. Instead of letting those kids be separated from their parents and siblings to be "put in the system", my mom opened our small 4 bedroom home to a whole other family. That time really taught me a lot about selflessness, unconditional love, resourcefulness, and, lets be honest, frugality. Those are all things I carry with me now. 

If my parents could take in a 6 person family in addition to our 6 person family for over a year, I can take a few hours over a single week in my life to help out a friend. In the end, it was some of the most fun I have had in awhile.