So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye…

bird sunset sea

This Thursday I had to do something I really didn’t want to do: I had to say goodbye to 2 people who have become a hugely significant part of my life.  Of course, I’m not expecting this to be a goodbye, but rather a transition to a new phase, a long distance phase, of our friendship.  But I’m really going to miss getting to do all the fun things we’ve done together, and just getting to share life together.

We’ve laughed a huge amount, introduced them to Surrey life (apparently, Latin reading competitions, Greek camp and your parents attending the queen’s cocktail party are not “standard” experiences), shown them the importance of avocados and halloumi in most meals and generally had a lot of fun together.  And we’ve all learnt a lot from them as well.  So, while these 2 wonderful people are very much on my mind, I’ve pulled together some greatest hits from what I’ve learnt through spending time with Michael and Amy, my favourite Northern Irish couple!  Continue reading “So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye…”

Experiencing Easter

Easter

Easter is one of my favourite times of year, for a whole host of reasons.  The sun has usually started to come out, the days are longer, everywhere I look there is more green and blue than there has been for months, there are new flowers appearing each day…  Usually I take some time off work around this time as well (just one more week to go!), so I’m also looking forward to getting a break.  But the best bit about Easter, invariably, is the opportunity to become immersed in the “Easter Story” for a little while.

Over the next week or so, there will be lots of church services and events around the world, helping us to home in on Easter and the enormity of what God did for us.  And we’ll have our own family traditions to look forward to – some focused on our Christian faith, and plenty focused on simply getting the family together.  My husband and I also look forward to old friends returning to the area to see their families, so that we can sneak in some catch-ups as well.  Easter is a busy time with lots to look forward to, but at its heart is a focus on a joy like no other – Jesus’ resurrection is a heart-breakingly wonderful thing, and, to be honest, it blows pretty much everything else out of the water.  Continue reading “Experiencing Easter”

I’ll be there for you

Friends

Who are your friends?  Who do you call when the sun has come out and you feel like a barbecue, or when you find yourself at a loose end and want some company?  Who do you want to tell first when you’ve had some good news, or who do you need to tell first when you’ve had some bad news?  Who loves you even when you’re tired and grumpy?  I’m really, really lucky.  I’ve got the most amazing friends.  There are the friends I see only occasionally, but getting a hug from them feels like coming home.  There are the friends I see several times a week but we never run out of things to talk about or ways to have fun together.  And everything in between. Continue reading “I’ll be there for you”