It's a Hard Life!

Well here I am again, sipping coffee and chatting to a friend - but today it is a relatively new friend whom I met about 3 years ago in the library at the school where I help each Wednesday. Linda and her family are Bulgarian and we had an immediate rapport so I invited her out for coffee - one way to get to know someone better.

As an aside, I wondered what my "purpose" in life was going to be once I was retired; God has brought so many young mums into my life that I quickly understood that this was what He wanted me to do - befriend these young mums who don't have their own mums around.

Linda and I soon became firm friends. Her daughter was then in the Reception class so I became a sort of surrogate Grandma to her, as her own Grandmother still lives in Bulgaria with the rest of her family.

I meet Linda about once a week and we chat about all sorts of things - if she has a problem with her English, she has given me permission to correct her, but I don't need to do it often, as she has picked up the language so well. She often says to me "My English is not so good" to which my response is always "Well, my Bulgarian is zilch!" If she has concerns about schooling, she will talk to me about it and we can try and sort it out together and she knows she can always ring me if she needs anything. They are a delightful family and Mr HCB and I are thrilled that we have become friends with them all.

They have been to church with us on several occasions, but as they are Bulgarian Orthodox, we respect that they have their own way of worshipping, which is very different from our Baptist tradition. They have often come when we have a Bring and Share Lunch after the service and Linda's daughter likes to get involved with the other children at church, which is great, especially as she is an only child.

I know I cannot take the place of Linda's mother, but I do try and be a motherly figure to her and a Grandma to her daughter and I know that they look on Mr HCB as a surrogate Grandad.

Being a vegetarian, Linda has taught me a lot and she is an excellent cook. We have spent many happy hours sharing a meal with them in their home, and mostly, of course, of Bulgarian origin - but the games afterwards is what their daughter looks forward to the most!

How blessed we are to have such friends and to share their life - they have taught us so much about their culture and although I can't say I fully embrace Linda's husband's taste in food - he and Mr. HCB like to share a glass of red wine together and to chat about what interests men.

So, after meeting my friend yesterday, I thank God for old friends, but I also thank Him for new ones too - and that includes all my new "blip" friends.