All you need is a friend

Today I took the kids and we headed out to my first MOPS meeting. I seriously don't know why I never did this before. I've had several people tell me I should join a MOPS group but I just never took the time to investigate one. I really enjoyed it! I'm going back even though they only meet four more times this semester and then they take the summer off.

The whole reason I've been contemplating joining a group like this is because I seriously need some more friends. I have plenty of acquaintances but not so many real friends. And I am desperate for one or two more. Although sometimes I think I don't have more because I can barely handle the ones I've got. Life is so hectic and I know I'm not as good a friend as I should be.

Anyway, fast forward to the meeting this morning. The topic of the entire meeting was friendship! And the guest speaker was actually a mama of one of the kids in my first class at Mother's Day Out. Small world. She is so cute and has a new book out right now called "The Christian Mama's Guide to Having a Baby." I wish I had gotten to read it when I was preggo!

One of the best parts of her talk I thought was a comparison she related between the definition of friendship by Webster in 1913 and the definition of friendship now. In 1913 Webster defined a friend as "one who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect, and affection that he seeks his society and welfare." Today a friend is defined as "a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard."

I like the old definition much better. It's easy to feel affectionate for someone but far better to seek another person's society (company) and welfare. Sounds an awful lot like the whole love your neighbor as yourself thing to me. To be concerned for someones welfare requires effort and involvement instead of just affectionate feelings.

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box. I just thought the subject matter of this meeting was very timely for me. So, "YAY MOPS!"