I have a bit of a cold. you know the kind that makes you feel like you are going to sneeze every 5 seconds but you never actually do and your eyes end up watering for eternity and your head feels like it will explode? Strike that I don’t have a BIT of a cold, I HAVE a cold. So I suffer through attempting to give 90% when I really only have 5% left to give. But that is life. You are often asked to give more than you can, more than is physically possible.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.Some of my besties (aka the ladies who have known me since I was a bright-eyed, supremely naive college freshman) are coming into town this weekend. The hubbies and the babies are coming too. It is all just so good! There will be a lot of cuddling of children, belly laughs, wine and I am sure deep heartfelt conversation.

These ladies are stretched to the max. They manage jobs and families and still travel hundreds of miles this weekend to spend time with us. Talk about giving when you have not much left in you- one of them moved last week. Yes, moved her entire little family of four (and by little I mean two little ones under the age of three) into a new home and instead of staying home and unpacking their lives they choose to come here. That is a way better example of giving when you have not much left in you then my little cold!

Isn’t it in these moments of giving when we feel stretched that we receive the greatest rewards?

Four women, four husbands, nine children and 17 years of friendship, looking forward to the adventure of this weekend.

“All of my life is arm and arm with you. When you’ve got trouble I’ve got trouble too…. Our lives are intertwined. I’ll ease your pain because you’ve eased mine.”