Emedinews:Inspiration:Most Excellent Adventures

An Inspirational Story
(Ms Ritu Sinha)

My friend, Jessie and I have known each other since the earth's crust was cooling.....Or maybe it just seems that way!

Friendships get more precious as you get older, and when we hit our forties, we decided we needed to put in a little more work to keep our friendship strong, healthy and growing. Our solution? We pick out one Saturday a month and promise to do something. Sometimes it has been as little as getting together for a long lunch out. Other times we have added a movie or shopping. But at least once a quarter, we have an adventure!

Over the past few years these adventures have ranged from just hopping in the car and driving to a location which we picked with our eyes closed, (in other words, we played our own version of "Pin the tail on the donkey" using a map!) Other adventures involved an overnighter that took in a festival and a giant Christmas craft sale, or sometimes we just drove, stopping wherever we wanted. We have headed into downtown Atlanta or a suburb on the other side of the Metro area just to explore. We have been to an assortment of regional Food, Flower and Craft Festivals. We have headed out of state to Tennessee. We have gone on antique quests and bargain hunts. We have tried out new restaurants and new cuisines. We've gone on great Christian retreats and conferences, and we almost went to a foreign language film, but chickened out because we were too tired to read subtitles! (It had been one of those weeks at work!).

One of our adventures took us to a very small town in South Georgia. It was one of those watermelon or cotton or peanut festivals, and we enjoyed buying the hand-made gifts and eating the terrific regional foods. There was also a parade, with local dignitaries and beauty queens as well as the school marching bands and service groups. It was a real piece of small town Americana, and we had a great day! We waited for the parade to end near our car, and then pulled out behind it to head back to the big city. Unfortunately, the parade wasn't over! We gasped in dismay when in the rear view mirrors we saw the high school band turn a corner and come up behind us! The band must have stopped to re-group and we slid into the gap unknowingly. We tried to turn off, but the side streets were still blocked for the parade.

So we did what any normal middle-aged women would do.....we began smiling and waving! (Hasn't every woman practiced this sometime during her life???) Everyone smiled and waved back! Of course, their smiling faces turned confused and puzzled as we passed and they saw no signs on our car. "Who are these women? And why are they in our parade???" they must have wondered. Finally, we turned a corner and a stern looking policeman directed us back to the highway.

Fun is always on the menu, whether it's a weekend trip or a couple of hours over lunch. We talk (a lot!) and catch up on each other lives. Yes, we talk on the phone during the week sometimes, but you can't really get down to the deep stuff over the phone. We share our struggles and our prayer concerns. We ask for and receive advice. And we laugh!

Don't keep promising yourself that "someday soon" you will start making time for yourself...and your very best friend. Do it now. Pick up that phone and make a plan for THIS weekend. And for once a month after that, and don't let anything get in the way. You need it. Your friend needs it. You'll be a happier, healthier person for it! I guarantee it!