June 30

Our week of familial separation came to a close today as Abby returned from her mission trip. (I picked her up from the church office and then drove her over to a pool-centric get-together the rest of us had been enjoying, hence the swimming gear.)

She regaled us with stories of her adventure and I was happy to realize --fairly early on-- that she'd had a good time and connected with several of her peers. That in and of itself was a big enough blessing.

But then the evening took an unexpected turn as she reflected on how hard it was for her to see the sibling pairs interacting with one another on the trip. She got misty for a moment as she said she missed that bond she'd shared with Logan, and then got mad at herself for getting emotional over it. She talked about how she likes to share with friends and to cry on them because they're like her rocks, and I said that I knew what she meant because I can see the value in those friendships, too. God does, after all, intend for us to care for one another in a real, tangible, meaningful way that's driven by love. And then I admitted that I've not been very good at successfully cultivating those relationships, and then she surprised me by very curtly reminding me that people who aren't willing to be my rocks probably aren't worth my time anyway. We all deserve rocks; it's true that sometimes we're the supporters and sometimes we're the ones in need, but real, meaningful relationships ultimately feature equal parts give and take.

Wisdom from a teenager. Who'd'a thunk?