Making The Effort

Picking up the phone and calling a friend in Wyoming whom I haven't talked to in a few months, or setting aside an afternoon to go for a walk with a friend, or driving down to Seattle to see a friend who is just passing through. Making the effort to do those things is just that. An effort. In between all the hustle and bustle of everyday life and taking care of the kids - it sounds pathetic!! - but it's true that it takes an effort to set aside time for friends.

I haven't seen my friend Janet for almost 5 years. She arrived in Seattle today to attend a conference and invited me to come down for a visit. I left the kiddos home with Dan and drove down to meet up with Janet and spend some time catching up and strolling along the waterfront. It was worth it.

Living in a land-locked state like Colorado, Janet was thrilled to be close to the water. I remember that feeling of awe, not too long ago. We had a great afternoon together.

To get a feel for Washington, I would have preferred to take Janet around the Washington I know - a hike in the forest, a walk around a lake, berry picking, a trip to the beach. But we were in the middle of the city. We had to make do with what we had!

We did make it to a small beach which was fun. As part of the Olympic Sculpture Park, we went to the vivarium which houses a sixty foot long nurse tree. The log was actually removed from the forest ecosystem several years ago and brought to the city. Its ongoing decay represents nature as a system of cycles. The volunteer in the viarium explained to us that they left a huge tarp in the forest where the tree used to lay and every 3 years they bring the tarp to the city and shake all the seeds and pods and stuff onto the tree. That way, there is always something new growing on the tree, as it decays. It was really interesting.
Maybe that's a little like friendships. Not the decaying part! But the part about sprinkling them with new stuff every now and then, to keep them growing. Making the effort matters.