A busy week can be a wonderful distraction from sadness. This week, two of my dearest friends are moving: one permanently and one for the summer. If I thought about it, I would feel vulnerable and sad. Both friends have been tremendous gifts to me in their kindness and gentleness and words of encouragement and faith. They have been strong supports through rough times. Both have taught me how a close friendship means hurting with one another -- how that pain is a privilege to share, not a burden. If I dwelt on these thoughts, my friends' moves would devastate me.
But I haven't had time to dwell on these thoughts. It's the busy end-of-the-school-year time, and all thinking time has been redistributed into doing time. I've hosted a brunch, given a science lecture and demo, performed many class parent duties, co-chaired Field Day, hosted a birthday party, plus all the usual keep-the-family-running-smoothly duties.
These duties were pleasures, none of which I would have traded in. But I now also see them as important distractions that kept me from focusing on my sense of loss. There was sufficient time for goodbye meals and many ways to assist with packing and childcare; there were wasn't sufficient time to sit on the couch and mope.
Today the diversions continue. Today is the 8th grade graduation, a happy-sad time that gets me weepy for the way life goes on and kids grow up and our sweet 8th graders will be facing the big world. But I won't be teary-eyed on the sidelines today, because I'm giving the invocation. (Well, at least I won't be teary-eyed at the beginning -- I'll be nervous!) I'm grateful for duties that keep me from dwelling on sadness.
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