One of my favorite places to "hang out" is Rachel Anne's. She is such a talented writer and artists. I check her site daily to see what she has written. But I do that with all of you! I have found some sense of "belonging" here in this "blogging world" and to some of you that may sound a little "sad" or "pittiful", but it is true. Anyway, Rachel Anne is asking us all to be a "Company Girl". Head on over to her site read this post and leave a comment.
Now, about that "sense of belonging".....
Many, if not all of you, know that I am the wife of a minister. Some of you are too. So, let me ask you something, minister's wife or not. Why is it that people are so afraid to get close to someone just because they know the person will eventually leave?
My thought on that is this, "We ALL eventually leave." You see, I just don't like the excuse of not getting to know someone (a minister's family, a new employee at the plant and his family....) just because you know they won't be here for a lifetime! And by getting to know, I don't mean getting to know them on the surface, but instead, knowing their hearts, what hurts them, what makes them giggle, the kind of snack they like at the movie, even if the way they like to put the toilet paper on the roll!
Who says those friendships you make has to end when the other party "leaves?" Who says that a friendship can't grow once their is a distance between you? I have a few freinds that I can still call to this day and talk as if we never left each other's side. Sure, there will be "gaps" and there will be stories that we won't have in common, and names that we won't know, but who cares!
When you were in college did you not make friends because you were afraid of getting hurt at graduation when everyone went their own seperate ways? NO.....so why be that way now. I just don't get it!
Maybe it is not the moving away. Maybe people just use that as an excuse because they think that just because we are a "minister's family" we are "better than them" and that we would "look down" on their "sins". All I have to say to that is I think it is another excuse! We SIN just like anyone else. We have our issues, just like anyone else. We are not perfect, just like everyone else. So, what is the real reason?
I know this got a little off the subject of being a Company Girl, but for me it kind of goes alont with it all. As sad as it may sound, I have found that acceptance, belonging, feeling of "I have a place" here with all these "Company Girls".
Share with me what you think.
3 comments:
Hey Angie,
I just wanted to respond to what you wrote. I think being on the other side of the coin might help some. Where we live there is a lot of homeschooling military families. So we get to know them for about 2 years and then they leave. It is so hard on those of us who stay behind because we have to find something to fill that void. Do I think that is an excuse for not REALLY getting to know someone? No way! Our heart breaks everytime one of these families leave. I think it might be a little different in the church, several of my very dear friends are preacher's wives and they say it is a lonely job and they live in a glass house! My thinking is that in the church we should not be thinking that of they will be gone soon, we are all in the body of Christ together, we will meet again! Hugs, Liz
Yep, we should all live in those glass houses! It is true too that it doesn't really matter how long you know a good friend they are that for life. SOme of my dearest friends are from UMHB, we all knew that was temporary, yet we still keep up and talk as if we were still hanging out in the dorm eating cheese bread! Fun memories!
I'll have to check out the company girl thing. thanks!
I understand this post, too. We lived in a college town for 7 years and people were constantly leaving, but we made some awesome friends along the way. I think sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives that we aren't willing to really give people enough time and effort to really get to know them. Your post made me think of a few friends I really need to call!!! thank you!
Daisy
Post a Comment