A safe place - Friends

There are times that I still miss my grandparents - Papa and Dodo.  One of things that I really miss, is that I could always go there when I felt overwhelmed, and just being there with them just seemed to make it better.  I did not even have to talk about what was overwhelming me.  There was just something about being in their presence that would calm my feelings and hope would replace the hopelessness that had dwelt within me.

This was something that my Aunt Dot noticed.  She once told me before she passed away that she knew that the biggest thing that I lost with the death of my grandparents was that I could no longer go there to feel safe.  There are some relationships that will do that for a person, but ever since then, those types of relationships for me, have been few and far between.

That brings me to this morning.  This morning I felt like I had been hit from several things at one time.  I was overwhelmed with emotion.  Now to be honest, I have a lot of friends out there who are going through "worst"things, but that still does not changed the way that I was overwhelmed.

Now while being overwhelmed, I also was gathering with friends to celebrate the "birthday" of the LSPHC during the afternoon.  Now this event was in Grapevine, so I had about a hour's worth of driving to get my emotions in check.  So, I spent the drive in thought, meditation, prayer, and I really got into music.  I put my Ipod on shuffle and just let it randomly pick from the 847 songs that I have programed on it.  Every song that came up spoke to what I was going through.  By the time that I got to the event, I had calmed down a lot.

Now no one there knew what I was going through and I doubt if any of them even realized that something was wrong with me.  I did not share any of this with them, because I did not feel the need to do so. But, an amazing thing still took place.  Just being around this group of friends, I felt better.  By the end of the afternoon, I felt a 100% better.  My soul received a strengthening and calming like it did when visiting my grandparents as a kid.  By the time that I got home this evening,  I was a different person than one who had left a few hours before. It is amazing what friendships can do for a person.

When home becomes a prison.

It seems to me that for home life to flourish, then everyone who lives there must be able to enjoy being there.  I'm not saying that everything will be enjoyable to everyone at all times, but everyone there must have something there that they can enjoy.  From what I have seen and experienced, I have concluded that when people are prevented from all enjoyment at home, they start seeking to find it elsewhere.

Enjoyment can have many forms.  It can be creating a garden paradise to relax, meditate, and recharge in.  It can be listening to music, watching tv, reading or some athletic activity.  Anything or anyplace to personally recharge.

Along with personal enjoyment there should be a communal enjoyment also.  I believe that there also needs to be a connection with others in the household.  A home that has the residents living separate lives is not really a home.  A couple that doesn't have a connection and common enjoyment, will start looking for fulfillment elsewhere away from each other.  Home life becomes a prison that the soul yearns to escape from.

It seems to me that home really becomes a home when everyone there desires it to be and then pursues it through love, grace, forgiveness, & long suffering.