Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Friendship Pillows.



Oh my! What can I say about this goal that has so fallen by every wayside imaginable. I was reminded about it today when I walked into the waiting room for Cici's ballet class. At one time, I remember sitting the entire time without anyone as much as glancing my way - yet today, I saw three beautiful familiar faces in front me - friends that I hadn't seen since the summer. I am noticing that I can be a bit of loner. Not the keep to myself and don't want to talk to anybody type - but I've moved a lot, am in a different culture, I just need to become familiar with everything first type loner. It was just neat to be in a room and feel welcomed and comfortable - not new!

In another story, this last summer I met a lovely woman with twin three year old girls, from Germany originally, but had lived here for several years. Her girls went to the same summer program that mine belonged. We talked several times and came to each others houses for play dates with our girls. She called, but I was busy with treatments and other excuses - I never called her back. Last week, we walked right past her street and in a moment of realization and guilt - I felt it necessary to go to her home right then. I knocked on the door and she opened it with a shocked look on her face - she had thought I had moved away. Wow - what friend I was to her - one street away, and the poor woman thought I had moved. In the end, we re-exchanged contact information and plan on getting together again. But how many months have a wasted on not calling her a friend?

I am sadly lacking in sending my friendship pillows and have rekindled my plan to make and send them to people - friends - who have shown true friendship and kindness to me and my family. Looking back on the pillows I've made and handed out, I only completed 6. I guess I should be happy I did six, but I would so like to double it this year. Here are the ones I finished last year:





My goal for 2008, is to make one friendship pillow a month. I don't think it's to lofty a goal, even with all the other resolutions and projects - after all, friendship is very important to me and it's my way of showing and telling friends, thank you.

How do you say thank you?
Have you lost touch with anyone who you feel you should reconnect with?

10 comments:

Lauralee said...

oh I love your goal! good for you.. your friends who get them will just love them! way to go stopping by your friends house..you probably made her day!

Barb said...

It is work to maintain friendship just like any other relationship I guess. I love your pillow with the yellow button dotting the i.

crystal said...

Oh boy do I LOVE the fabric on the pillow in the last photo! Happy.

I say thank you with homemade treats (I love to bake).

I am very, very poor at correspondence. It's pathetic, actually.

michelle said...

I love your pillows! I still have mine siting out that you made for me. :) I have lost contact with friends before too. It always feels soooo good to recindle their friendship! Good for you for going the extra mile yesterday, and stopping by her house. I am sure it made her day to know you had been thinking of her.

carlo said...

oh your pillows are amazing and i think one a month is a huge goal but then again i think all you get done in a week is amazing... what is your secret? (lots and lots of coffee?)

Scribbit said...

They're so pretty--every time I see mine I think warm fuzzy thoughts about you!

Mandy said...

your pillows are so creative a pretty. The fabrics you chose always make me smile. I love them!

Holly said...

Your pillows are beautiful! I think you are so talented AND thoughtful.

Love your new bloggy do!

Amanda :-) said...

Urgh, Michelle this post has reminded me of a lazzzzzy attitude I had towards a mum at school today. Your efforts to knock on that lady's door and re-exchange contacts again is a great reminder and example to me.

The mum and I were in the same bible study group. I left the group, and began to drift from the girls in that group socially - til it's got to the point today where I stood next to one of them in the playground today and neither of us exchanged a single word. How BAD is that?? I didn't know if it was ME being offish, or HER being offish, or BOTH of us? It's just pathetic, really.

My thank-you habit at the moment is handing out teabags, in a sort of 'you deserve a nice sit down and a cup of tea' gesture. A poor, poor attempt the say thank you in comparison to these splendid pillows! I can't pick a favourite, actually. They're all lovely in their own way! Good luck with your one a month goal. I'm sure you can do it.

Mique (as in Mickey) said...

I'm feeling guilty after reading this because I feel like I haven't been a great commenter lately. Sorry! And you've been a great friend to me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my LOVE pillow and it's fun to see your girls with it in that pic.
I think that goal is realistic. I would set aside one night. Like say the first Friday of every month to make one. I bet you'd be surprised, you might be able to make a few. And if you don't get to it one month, don't beat yourself up about it.
BTW love your new look. And especially the pic from Vasquez Rocks- I'm a rock throw away (well more like a 10-15 mins drive but you know what I mean).