Gift of Girlfriends

This is just one of the beautiful passages from Shasta Nelson's compassionate new book,  friendships don’t just happen, that many are already clamoring to give as gifts this year:

"Open hands remind me that if I give freedom to goodness to land in my life, then I also give freedom to see those same gifts fly away. In their own time. I can’t not control one and then try to control the other. An airport cannot choose to only accept arrivals and not departures; there are valid times for travel in both directions. I cannot force people to stay here any longer than I can force time to stand still. I cannot manipulate, coerce, charm or trap gifts to last forever.

And should I ever be tempted to close my hand around something, I inevitably have just closed my hand to other gifts as well. Ironic, that the very gesture of trying to keep one thing can be the gesture that prevents other good things."

There is so much to digest and ruminate on in this book, everything from balance, to how some speak in the language of physical gifts which can get lost on others who do not and why the old adage of counting close friends on one hand is actually true.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Image: mam for Gave That