tis the season for blooming friendships....

just thinking about the wonderful friendships that have bloomed in the last few months for Clint. What a lucky guy - (what a lucky wife (me!)) to have been graced by these awe-inspiring men.

It seems like a few years ago, I gave in to the notion that I just might be the only friend Clint would ever want or need. It was the year we started gardening together - summer of.... 2002? I made a conscience decision to "include" him into my circle of friends and not so much treat him as "the husband" I remember when we were driving home from having a wonderful time at the garden w/ our newly acquired garden friends and we were talking about taking a Master course in gardening. I told him that would be something we should do and he said, "yeah, you should invite one of your friends to go w/ you to it." I said something to the fact that I would want him to come w/ me and not anyone else and "how he was my best friend." He took it nonchalantly and it wasn't till weeks later that he told me how astounding it was to hear those words come out of my mouth.

As the years past, I knew he wanted to build strong relations with other men but just not anyone. He wanted solid, multifaceted friendships that would last till the end of time. I knew it bothered him that he wasn't in any kind of situations that would lead him to such things and at the same time it was comforting to know that he had a desire for this. I started to know that I wasn't meant to be that sole person for him and what he desired, I just couldn't fill.

School started and in a few months he met a super-natural person, A. The guy is smart, witty, cool, street smart and down to earth. He's a minister at a church in Ohio but is not preachy, instead A is full of captivating charming words. Clint and A would run into each other on the bus and would have flowing conversations that Clint would come home and relay to me and I would think, what a divine intervention!

Finally, at the beginning of summer I had the chance to meet this fellow. He's funny, polite and very young! He's married to a lawyer wife w/ two kids. She does pro bono work and will be starting the same program as these guys are doing this fall. I had the chance to meet her briefly at the grocery store a few weeks ago. We haven't had a chance to all get together yet, but these guys are burning up the trails w/ walks or bike rides at least 3 days a week.

It's exciting to see these friendships unfold. The other friend is just as awesome and wise. The boys really enjoy them both and have asked to do things w/ them as well, like fishing or camping. Last night A was over and was teaching the boys football stuff since he played college ball and he had a captivated audience, I'm sure.

If the phone rings, it's most likely not for me anymore and ends up being for Clint. Although, A did call the other day and since Clint wasn't home asked "how the lady of the house was doing." So, we had a nice half hour conversation. I think he's from the rough streets of Philly, but I don't want to assume. He has an inner-city-wisdom that comes out in the most prophetic way that you know he has been truly touched to live and speak the way he does.