FRIENDS our best friends, our intimate friends, confidantes, soul mates, allies, comrades, companions, buddies, chums, partners, mates or pals

"Friends are like melons: 

Shall I tell you Why? 

To find one good one, 

a hundred try "

Claude Mermet

In recent times we there has been an emphasis on  "friends  and friendships " and the accumulation of a excessive numbers of  'Friends'. that past decades may not have experienced to such a degree.  

The friend revolution first began in my family from watching the ever popular TV series FRIENDS always must see in our household. Friends  has continued to bring hours of joy and laughter to my family - we still get together and throw on a friends my son still watches Friends DVD whenever we can.  The show epitomises the close friend's group household with many funny moments and situations - a great laugh.

Then of course came social media, and Facebook with its obsession with the number of "friends" one can acquire

We pick up or " find friends " for our social media sites, from work, family members and extended family, people who are away overseas, acquaintenances, friends from school and Uni, work friends,  relatives, neighbours, friends from the past and everyone new that we meet and then friends of friends of friends. We tweet, chat, skype, like, share, follow, call, text and email to keep in touch with them all.

Many an article has been written about whether these constitute true friends and how many friends is it possible to maintain in a lifetime?  I wonder though are they really your  true Friends and what is a friend really?

I've had my share of interest, success and involvement in all ways of making friends and celebrating the idea and essence of friendship from interest groups, networking through work, courses, clubs, work situations, family friends,community groups,  online dating and friendship sites and more. 






The expression "Strangers are friends we have not met yet" has never been so true as it is now.  
I have had the good fortune or providence to have what I perceive to be a truly great best friend our  friendship has stood the test of time through good times, ups and downs of life to become a strong mutually satisfying bond for life. Someone who knows you better than you know yourself.

New friends still in the exhilaration of  experimenting, learning about each other, enjoying the surprises of what makes two people tick as friends.

What we enjoy about one another and what each one brings to the friendship is a fascinating game filled with excitement  and so much fun.

My intuition is fairly good so I can see a time when new friends will have  become great friends because life has to be experienced first and friendships nurtured through our living.

sylviajustcurious.blogspot.com

So whether you meet online, in unusual chance meetings, or at work or mutual interest groups and pastimes its the passage of  time that tells whether our friends are what I consider to be the meaning of  TRUE FRIENDS.

True friends are based on selflessness they accept differences, support strengths and weaknesses and I believe  to have even one true friend in a lifetime is a major blessing.

Because its the trust and strong bond that develops over time that endures distance and life's up and downs but does not affect the quality of the  friendship at all

A true friend can walk in after years or months away and the friendship is right there where it was - a magic relationship. Where either person in the bond would not think twice if one of them was in trouble or needed help and in fact would probably know already, this friendship never fades but thrives on trust, mutual admiration, inspiration and comfort.

I am lucky to have a few close friends but one in particular that I know a mere hello on the phone can be answered by " tell me " because best friends can sense, listen and understand ones silence sometimes knowing before you do yourself.

a friendly bite

How fortunate am I to  know someone that is completely comfortable to be with - my best friend.

How do we nurture and acquire truly good friends and more importantly how do we spontaneously develop good friends without it being an artificial thing You can't make yourself into what you think others may find attractive its all about being honest with yourself and being You.

Of course, if we are fortunate, our children can become our best friends and know you on this level too.

There is nothing sweeter in life than to be rewarded after the nurturing and sacrifice needed in rearing children to end up with them as your close friends. A group of people who enjoy your company and want to spend time with you and become your other best friends.

So, when you meet new people enjoy all the moments of the initial spark as your own hint to the possible deep friendship that may develop.  The mutual joy of contact and being together, thinking about them as you become friends, being attentive to keeping in touch, listening, giving and sharing but best of all fun, laughter and humor all go to  make lasting friendship

"The only way to have a friend is to be ONE"

      Ralph Waldo Emerson

My lungs feel HAPPY

boneko78.wordpress.com

We all have to exercise.....but after the  long endurance test  at work each week the thought of more strain on my legs with running or aerobics I was just not getting it done...then  I discovered the joy of taking the plunge and swimming....and I'm happy to report that swimming makes me feel fantastic, makes my lungs feel happy and my whole body sing.....

There is a moment when I first get in the water and push off from the wall .........its like flying, weightless, free, where you glide through the warm silky water, the outside world is gone. Its just you, your own thoughts and the sounds of the bubbles in your ears. The moment is wonderful and full of promise.

Its gone by the time you get to the end of the lap as you catch your breath before going off again...

Swimming is exercise and pleasure combined

dayrecipe.com

My skin glows after a swim and I've improved my posture, joint mobility especially in my neck. 
My fitness and lung capacity is amazingly enhanced without even noticing that "I was working out" 
Although its a huge demand on the lungs and heart (but in a good way) there is no strain on the muscles, just a fantastic all round work out.
The next day you don't feel sore and sorry like you do with weights and aerobics and there is very little injury at all - just perhaps the occasional pulled muscle from stretching too much....

When I started I could barely get to the other end without gasping for breath, but now I've used the time  to coach and train myself to perfect "the stroke" remembering all the tips I used to give to the boys.
 I can now do at least a kilometre sometimes more and every week get better.
All those early morning workouts before school - 6am at the pool with the boys have come in handy. 


I've taught myself bilateral breathing andwhen my head is in the water  I use the quiet moments  to reflect on things, plan and ponder. No its NOT boring......

youidiot.org
There's no other sport or exercise I know where you don't feel tired, get rid of tension and stress and see the results so fast. My whole body sings through the day with that heightened feeling of good circulation and increased metabolic rate and it lasts all day...

And there's no danger of hurting yourself. You may have to improve your time management skills and look at goal setting to get going but the benefits are well worth it.
Core strength, endurance, flexibility and balance, relaxation and a fantastic cardio workout.

buzzle.com

I always come out of the water refreshed, awake, rejuvenated and by the time I'm dressed and out and about again INVINCIBLE....... Grab your goggles and take the plunge....

swimming.org.au 

Lots of interesting info from Swimming Australia

Check out Swimsmooth for fabulous instructions from beginners to advanced and Mr smooths animated ideal freestyle stroke console. 

http://www.swimsmooth.com/

PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDHOOD

markherbst.com

Several times in recent years I've been taken back by comments said rather off handedly by my children at times in relation to their upbringing...
It might be a small comment of a memory, a recall of events or a general feeling of how we as parents faired in their eyes.


Almost like a long winded decision or critic on our parenting skills that now after 20 years or more we are  being handed the sentence or verdict on what we did wrong or "What were you thinking? "
Dont get me wrong there is not a problem, but its amazing to me that the age we now live in with all its focus on perfection and  idealistic vision  -  as a parent what we are expected to achieve....

allposters.com

To bring 5 children into the world, healthy, well nourished, educated, nurtured and cared for as the number one focus of ones life......It is surprising to me to hear that the choices we made in relation to education, health, environment and lifestyle may be remembered as an embarrassment rather than a remembrance of a happy childhood.

It got me thinking about our perceptions
What we perceive as a job extremely well done in my eyes, can in the eyes of others or grown up children appear an embarrassment or not be remembered in the way you see it....








The story is that our five children were all raised in a loving environment - albeit sometimes volatile I'll admit - with two devoted, 

easyaupair.com

healthy parents.






I did not work full time until my two youngest children were in high school although I was always busy and involved in my husbands dreams and businesses but I was there - available.................. Always......



We were having children in the "save the world generation "...so we meditated, practised yoga, ate fresh healthy non processed foods bought foods from the local markets.......

alaska-inpictures.com

We made serious decisions about education, feeling that the norm was not good enough for our children.

poemsandnovelsblogspot.com

So they were sent to Montessori preschool, The Best school in Perth and
later on to Rudolf Steiner Schools to be nurtured, cared for and educated in a loving, artistic and  stimulating environment set in natural Australian bushland .

Meditation, artistic endeavours, Indian Astrology, and Ayurveda were a daily occurrence and topic of conversation. As was going away on retreats for my Husband, reading ancient Vedic texts, philosophical literature and having interesting visitors from exotic foreign lands come to stay with us.
We drove the children to and from school for the majority of the years as we lived in a national park without transport. I was  always home after school or accompanying them to sport, ballet or music activities.
Each child was always considered an individual and not sent off to a particular school for example just because Uncle ....went there. We always tried and achieved I think to show the children there were other ways of looking at things.

We were spontaneous, creative and probably a little eccentric but always there.....and how I remember FUN
The boys had the unusual and lost to this generation advantage of being able to roam freely all day on the waters of the Hawkesbury and have as much adventure as they could find.
It was my life and I could not have imagined being able to or wanting to leave them to be at work or to be arriving home from work late ie after 4pm...
So, why is it after all that we did as parents our children only remember the one time you were late, the one time they went to school with the sniffles....the one time you were unavailable or worst still turn up to school on a pupil free day...oh the horror.
They were never left at 7am at the childcare centre........rarely packed off to a babysitter for the entire day....nor did they come home to an empty house and no food on the go.....

art.com

So our perceptions are so different......As my gorgeous daughter approaches the birth of her first baby,  it made me realise that we only see what we want to see, we only hear what we want to hear........and only remember what we want to remember........which is fine. And we start out with such promise as parents and we try with every fibre of our being to do absolutely everything we can to always be the best we can be ....to protect and cherish our child and to always make them our first priority...but with all this, the balancing act of life and all it brings it is hard to do it all
 "perfectly" We make mistakes, we are selfish,bossy and sometimes lazy but always there is Love and Love never fails.
 We all have our own memories and I do not have any regrets about my life as a parent not one....  I've done it all to the best of my ability in the constraints that life threw at me and  I loved it all..........
And funnily,I concur  with the man today writing in Heckler SMH .....what he wants is the 
"having children lifestyle ".......an excuse to be mad and enjoy childish things and be SILLY.........hire a jumping castle and get out with the laser guns.....crawl around the floor making castles and cubbys .....make a mess!!!!
Cuddle up and read silly books about things like "Would you Rather?" or "Avocado Baby" Who would miss out on all the fun you have....we are extremely fortunate...

inphotos.org

 I did a lot on my own (as is required when you have what is now a luxury of not working when your children are small ) as my husband worked hard . We raised all five to be honest, loyal, hardworking, happy, creative but most importantly individual

Ayurveda, Astrology and organic foods are the norm and Eat, Pray, Love has bought us the notion of spending time in Ashrams and retreats, finding oneself and following ones dharma...the way we lived has become mainstream.
I may not have the career of a lifetime spent perfecting one skill but after all that was done and all that is required to do to love, cherish, nurture, look after, treasure, nurse, adore, nourish, discipline, coach, train, teach, develop and enlighten five amazingly different, all fantastic children who I admire and love to bits.....who cares.

nursreyrhymesonline.com

Its the way we did it and I for one am proud of it...........so just remember to always   HAVE  FUN and Enjoy Every Minute of all life brings........

Always jump in the puddles! 
Always skip alongside the flowers.  
The only fights worth fighting are the pillow and food varieties.  ~Terri Guillemets

“Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”

I am SO Happy that my daughter and wonderful husband are about to embark on the thrill of a lifetime and I wish you all the joys of parenthood together and if you love it only a tiny fraction of how much I did it will be wonderful....