Tues, Mar. 11
... The best that I can
Well, last night, we didn't end up watching the kids do their interpretation of the play--Meghan and Eddie weren't there, and they're kind of the main characters, so that somewhat defeated the purpose.
However, we did end up playing 3 hours of Truth or Dare with them. I really do love that game. Maybe I'm just nosy and I love to know everything and anything about everyone, but I think it's great to find out everything from the dumb, "Which celebrity would you marry?" to the deep, "What's your biggest regret?" types of questions.
I have a lot of respect for my kids, though, and I keep gaining more. I love watching them interact with each other... I love the way that the guys treat the girls, and the amount of respect they have for each other. Yeah, they're immature sometimes, and they have high-school fun, but in many ways, they're more mature than many high school kids.
Those girls are so blessed to have friends like them. Those guys really love them and respect them, and the girls are blessed more than they know. I remember writing an entry about that almost two years ago, when these guys were just in grade 10, and they were the "little kids" of the youth group. Now, they're the ones graduating, the ones setting the example for the younger guys, and they're doing a better job of it than many.
Both the guys and the girls, though, will go into marriage with a better understanding and better preparation. The girls will know what it's like to be treated like a princess by a guy who's just her friend, and so they'll have higher expectations of their husbands. They won't settle for less, because they will have experienced such great friends. They'll know how to appreciate him, too. They'll understand how precious it is, and they'll have a better idea of how blessed they are. The guys will know how to treat their wives, and for a 17-year-old to have an understanding of that is very, very special.
I respect them a lot. I wish I'd had friendships that strong when I was in high school. I wish I had friendships that strong with guys now.
I don't think they'll understand what a gift they've been given for a few years, but I pray they don't take each other for granted.
One year ago today: It's like any tragedy. When I stop to think about it, it kind of makes me feel a little guilty. Like I should be as affected and as consumed by it as some people are. Like I'm being selfish, petty, and juvenile to not think about it constantly. Like I shouldn't be able to live my life "normally" because for some people, "normal" will never be the same again. I know that's not the way it is; I know that's not expected of me, but sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed by it, and all I can do is feel helpless.
infinite || abyss
posted at 2:57 p.m.
