Posts Tagged ‘friendships’

The “Swingers”

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

The “Swingers”, a group that swings together, stays together…

I am talking about a real swing, the type of swing that you drop 210 feet and then swing out over trees tops.  Now that was scary and thrilling at the same.  The scariest part was the fact that I actually had to release myself for the drop.  I was thinking as I was pulling the pin out that was holding me up; maybe this is really just a bit crazy?  But after I did it, Wow, what a thrill.  I screamed like crazy,  (that was fun too) and then started to enjoy the swinging.


Swinging with Friends


The reason I think friends that swing together stay together is connected to my good friend from Mexico.  She was absolutely terrified to go on this swing.  I convinced her it would be fun , not really realizing what was involved.

Look at the View!

Swinging with Friends

Once we got there and saw what it was, she did not think she could do it.   With a bit of encouragement, she made the decision she was going for it.  She had opted out of a bungee jump the day before and was determined not to let fear stop her this time.

Amazing View

Amazing View

The guy that straps you in at the top of the swing liked to scare you as he was connecting you, by telling you how the swing was so much scarier than the bungee jump.   I went first and let him know to not even go there with my friend, as I was sure she would back out if he started telling her how scary the swing was.  He took me seriously and just helped her out, no stories.

Here I Go!

Here I Go!

Screaming - Fear or Fun?

Screaming - Fear or Fun?

I will Swing with you anytime my friend!

I will Swing with you anytime my friend!

The feeling of “I DID IT” is so amazing afterwards, that your connections to the people around you that encouraged you to take that swing, are strengthened 10 fold.  The group that all took the swing together, encouraging each other towards that moment of pulling the pin out, were empowered and forever connected.

Huge thanks from me to all my swingers out there!!

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Generations of Friends

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

We recently hosted two 18 year old young men from the United States for 9 days. With one of them we have a 3 generation friendship! My parents were good friends with his grandparents, his uncle was on of my best friends growing up, and his Mom was in my sisters class….you get it, our families go Way Back!

How fun is that to have the opportunity to meet the next generation. I could tell by the emails I received from his mom and uncle how relieved they were that he would be staying with me in this far away country. I was so excited to meet him and his friend. Their visit sparked my own journey down memory lane of childhood friendships.

Both of the boys have been trying to decide where they will go study next year, and they had this time while abroad to think about it. During the time spent at our house I heard them talking about one University and by the end of the week they had decided on another one!

Third Generation Friends

Third Generation Friends

I could not help but think about the new Friendships they would be making at University – wow new beginnings.

One of the most exciting things of going off to Collage/University are the endless possibilities that are in front of you.

It is the best time to burst out of one’s shell or place. Most likely you have been in the same school for at least 4 years if not more. People around you kind of decide who you are and keep you in that place, whether you have grown out of it or not. We often seem to live up to or down to the expectations around us.

Going off to a new place is an opportunity to start a new beginning. You can be whom ever you want, wow now that is exciting! No preconceptions of who you are. That is one of the reasons why I LOVE new beginnings. They can be hard, but they offer us endless opportunities in personal growth.

Many friendships that are made during the first weeks or first year of University will last a life time.

You start to learn that you can have all kinds of friends, each one for a different reason, a different place or to do different things with. You learn how to juggle your high school friends and make room for the new friends that are coming into your life.

Having these young men spend time with us reminded me how much I still appreciate my high school friends from Georgia and can’t wait to get together with them all this summer, as I head back to my home town to reconnect with all the friends and people that helped shape the person I am today.

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