When I grow up...

...I want to be my friend Reiko. She's a few years older than me and has "been there, done that" with so many of my current struggles and experiences. She has been a huge mentor for me over the last 2 years and we have so much in common: we're both only children who grew up without our fathers around, we both love to scrapbook, our husbands even seem to have similar struggles and personality styles, the list goes on and on. She also homeschools her 8 and 11 year old boys, who are the most amazing kids ever. We don't talk as often as I'd like, because we're both very busy, but when we get a chance to talk, I always leave the conversation feeling refreshed and blessed.

I signed up for a nighttime Bible study that Reiko is teaching on Tuesdays. Unfortunately, yesterday, I overexerted myself at our first 2 Hour Time Out meeting of the year (the moms group that I run) and I was back in bed, sick again. I called to let her know that I wouldn't be at our first study and she dug a little deeper about my illness. By the end of the conversation, she had decided that in the morning, she would pick up my kids and my piles and piles of laundry and give me a whole day to rest and recover. I was practically in tears, I was so grateful.

I tried to spend all day resting, but I am SO BEHIND on my life and all I have to do, I kept finding myself at the computer answering emails and taking care of business. But I have to say, it was really nice to be able to go and lie down when I felt light headed or take a quick nap at the drop of a hat. It (literally) took all day, until 4:00, before I started genuinely feeling better again. A whole day off at the tail end of my sickness was exactly what I needed.

So at 5:30, Reiko showed up with my kids, bags and baskets full of clean, folded laundry, and grocery bags full of dinner, hot and ready to eat. Have I mentioned that I love this girl??? She is so caring, giving and selfless, humble and wise beyond her years, I seriously want to be just like her when I grow up.