Accidental friendships....

I have come to realize that not all friendships are the same. They come in different shapes, colors and sizes. Some are easy to just toss away like a stinky pair of sneakers and others are like that stretched out comfy sweatshirt that you just cant get rid of. Some friendships are started with the conscious thought "How can I be friends with this person? I should be friends with this person". Usually this thought goes along with figuring out just what being friends with that person could get you. There are those friendships that happen because they are expected. And then there are my favorite kind of friendships. The accidental ones.

The accidental ones are those friendships that you had no intention of having. But turn out to be so much fun that you do not know what you would do without them. Feeling like you have known someone for years and imagining the things that you can do together for many years to come. Those are the friendships that I like best. Hopefully those people who I cherish this highly know who they are.

One of my friends is allowing me to achieve a goal for my children that I did not think possible. And my children are getting more out of this experience than I ever expected. I have always known that I wanted to raise my children in a rural setting, around people who cared not just for themselves but for those around them. I want them to have solid, strong role models. The kind that will teach my children to be fearless and that anything is achievable if you put your mind to it. No matter how many times I say these things they are never quite as believable as when they are said by someone else.

I am watching Aeryn turn into this amazing little girl. Not that she was not amazing before. But there is something different now. A month ago she was afraid of ladders, now she scrambles up the ladder into the hay loft without a seconds hesitation. She does not whine or complain when being asked to do something to get the pasture ready for her cows to come home. (Of course this could be because she gets to ride on the back of a 4-wheeler)

Tonight I watched her trek her way to the back of the horse pasture where Lee, Zeke, Spotty (I hope that is his name), Zack, and Lola are. She was not alone of course. Yet she is the one that I had my eyes on. She did not have a care in the world. I could tell that she was chatting away about something. Her little body bounced with every step she took. Then came the horses. She moved closer to her companion as the ground shook. The sound of hooves sounded like thunder rolling through the air. And then she turned and I could see the absolute joy on her face.

This really is the kind of life I want for my kids. To be surrounded by good people, fantastic animals. This is the place where dreams are made and achieved. With the right tools, anything is possible.

All because of an accidental friendship.