Is That Really Neccesary?

Friendships intrigue me. Mixing demeanors, disdains and delights of two people into one friendship is precarious business! Now throw living together in to boot and things could get dicey.

In roughly 30 years I've lived with roughly 30 people. That's plenty many if you ask me! Over the years I learned it's wise {read: selfish self-preserving} to set some "ground rules" at the start or...well, things could get dicey.

From the start of Elizabeth and I nesting in the little brick ranch on Cornish Place, we laid down throw rugs and boundary lines.

Three laughter & {good} tear filled years later, we swept the kitchen floor for the last time, turned off the porch light, and closed the door of living together {with our dear superfun lovable Lydia!}.

Casting my sights back on that season, I can't help but ponder if the boundaries were necessary. Not once did we argue, fight, bicker. Not once. Dirty dishes, piles of boots in the hall, slews of paperwork on the coffee table didn't faze us. Taking the trash bin out, raking leaves, dusting {just kidding...we collectively agreed that's a waste of time!} were shared duties, not ones we hemmed and hawed over because we had just unloaded the dishwater the last umpteenth times!! Nah, none of that. A natural rhythm simply flowed through our home in every way.

Did laying out boundaries make living together simpler? I can't say for certain. Perhaps they helped, but overall I believe it was the mix of demeanor, disdains and delights (the 3 Ds) that made our trio work.

Elizabeth lavished sweet balmy words about me on her blog today. My heart couldn't hold each one, and as I type even now, I am overflowing with gratitude for her and our friendship. Now that I can finally see through the tears, I want to splash some of her {and Lydia's...'cause we love us some Lydia!} refreshing beauty on you!

Both of these girls....

Demeanors are {easy going} {fun loving} {aimed upward} {hard working} {peace filled} {joyous} {caring} {intentional} {minded toward others} {generous in spirit} {lovely} {safe} {merciful}

Disdains are {waxy chocolate} {blase music} {bad wine} {cheap potshots} {gossip} {not loving well} {closed hands towards God} {injustice} {too few Christmas tree lights} {not enough laughter}

Delights are {sunny days} {beauty unseen by others} {live concerts} {runs that induce j-e-l-l-o legs} {listening well} {living well} {loving well} {adventures by land, sea or sky} {friendships like deep wells} {cozy fireplaces} {quality time} {Pride&Prejudice 100 times over} {worship spilling from their very pores} {soaking in the Word} {Jesus} {abundant Christmas tree lights}

So I ask again...did the boundary lines set up to separate us indeed hold us together? A quick review of E and L's 3 Ds tell me otherwise; I believe it was Elizabeth and Lydia themselves, not any far flung rules, that created an atmosphere of peace, camaraderie, and togetherness. I love these girls. I love the years that melded us together under the same roof. I love the pruning God gave me through them simply being them. I love that our memories are soft places to land when the world is hard. And I love how our friendship has spread its wings, soared to vast and higher heights. Far above the boundary lines. That, in hind sight, probably were unnecessary in the first place.

Elizabeth captured my home in such a beautiful way recently. My sister is an interior designer and needed photographs of my home for her website. Seriously, I can't believe I live here...It's like seeing it for the first time all over again!!! If you need a brilliant, life-inspiring photographer, run, don't walk, to Almond Leaf Studios!! If you need an interior designer who brings life, cheer and charm to everything she touches, look no further than Grace Interiors Design!!