Summer is upon us , as we start to say our good byes, what friendship gifts will we give??
Time is flying by and the summer is already here. The kids are counting the days until the end of school, and friends from the United States have returned after spending 3 years in Atlanta. All of their kids are now speaking English, and with a Southern accent I might add!
As we start to plan our 6 months away, my kids are beginning to realize that as exciting as time away, in so many different incredible countries can be, it can also be difficult to be away from all of their friends for so long. One of the points for this trip is for our family to have special time, and lots of it, together.
There is no doubt that Facebook and Skype will ease the separation, but I am sure they will have their meltdowns once in a while. Each one will have their own laptop, first to stay in touch with school and secondly to stay connected with their friends. They have already told me they want to give their best friends a Friendship Stone, to remind that they are still with them. As each of them are always putting away their favorite stones as we go through the sorting for the 3rd time, they have a nice stash already to be able to give away.
I am always amazed at which stones my children choose as their favorites. It teaches me that beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Each one of my kids has their own special type of stone.
So as we start to think about packing our bags, we are also thinking of what we will be leaving behind, both symbolically and physically. I always like to look forward, but it is also important to think about, at least for a bit, about where we are today. We want to make sure that in all of our excitement on our travels, our friends back home also know they remain in our hearts.
