My Old Friend

Today an old friend asked me if a had a few minutes to talk.
"I think I have a case of the winter blues.", she confided.
This sounded serious so I pulled up a chair and sat down.

I listened carefully as she admitted:
The laundry had not been done all week.
The house needs a good dusting, scrubbing and organizing.  Not to mention that a pile of clutter next to the fridge is taking on a life of its own.
Instead of enjoying story and play time with her two year old, her mind was in a dozen other places.
Her jeans are too tight and gray hairs plentiful.
Writing checks for unexpected expenses is never a fun thing.
Spending evenings running the kids from place to place was getting her down.
She would rather run a marathon than cook dinner.
Worry about a good friend had been keeping her up at night.
She can't remember the last time she went out on the town for a red hot date with her husband.
A general feeling of blah had settled over her.

Hmmm, I replied, unsure of what I could say to help.

My first thought was that she would be completely justified in drowning her woes in a large bowl of Rocky Road.  I nearly grabbed my keys and dashed out the door.

But as every honest Rocky Road lover will concede, it is a temporary fix.

Instead, I looked her in the eyes and asked:

Have you been for a good, solid run lately?  No.

How about your personal prayer and scripture study?  Are you finding time to do these things separately from the family?  Not often.

Clutter and dust happen.  Laundry piles up, it's the nature of the beast.  Do you think digging in and getting it done will help you feel better?  Probably.

At breakfast, why not trade in that piece of chocolate cake for a bowl of oatmeal? Good idea.

You could choose to be grateful that you have a Rainy Day Fund.

When reading or playing with that sweet little girl, do not allow yourself to leave the moment.  Isn't that your choice?  Yes.

Can you change the situation of your dear friend? No.
Can you make choices for her? No.
Can you quit worrying and respect her decisions?  Yes.

Can you look for new recipes that will make cooking dinner more fun?  Sure.

Have you gone out of your way to serve a neighbor or friend this week?  Not really.

Finally, how about taking a big black sharpie and writing Red Hot Date with Dad on the family calendar?
Sounds great!

A happy, positive feeling was already starting to fill the room.

Then I did something that most women I know probably don't do enough,

I looked in the mirror and gave my old friend a wink.