the curtains of friendship as it were

These past 6 months or so, we have not had any curtains on our kitchen windows
or the siding glass door from the kitchen that leads into the screened in patio.
It has made the kitchen bright and sunshiny and full of light.
But now as we have a entered the semi-frigid season of winter it has also
made it cold and frosty and encourages one to wear a parka while eating breakfast cereal.
Not to mention that our heating bill has been through the roof.
At Target the other night, (Oh how I love thee, Target!)
I found some white curtains on the cheap and I thought,
"I should get these for the kitchen see if they make a difference."
The difference of the last two mornings has been amazing.
There is a sense of cocooning warmth around the table in the morning and
Will is no longer bringing his comforter to breakfast.
Scott walked through the kitchen and said, "Curtains are blankets for houses."
Very well put and poetic, oh husband of mine.
It got me thinking about the "curtains" of my own life.
That which keeps me warm and protected against the winters of real living.
I have had the thought that they are the people that God has surrounded me with.
These last two months have been difficult at best with the coldness of loss
and sorrow and disappointment hedging in.
And I have found my friends and my family, drawing close around me,
blocking out despair and disillusionment with the truth of their words,
timely e-mails and phone calls, shared tears, much needed laughter,
countless cups of coffee and warm hugs.
When we are facing the arctic winds of life,
the constancy of a good friend is a warm blanket for the soul,
letting us know we are not alone and that we are protected.
Loved. Cherished. Understood. Cared for. Heard. Held.
They add a richness and hopefulness to our living that can't be
achieved by standing on our own two feet to face what the day has brought us.
We need each other. Plain and simple.
While I am thrilled that my kitchen is a little warmer today that it was yesterday,
I am more thrilled that I am not alone on this journey of walking out my days.
On this cold rainy morning in December,
I am truly grateful for the love of good friends.