After 37 years life I receive with awe and open hands the genuine love of friendship. I’m so aloof, I can barely understand the sustainability of such friendship. But I’m grateful for it. It is pure grace.

when you are exhausted and not daring enough to leave your comfort zone even after it became uncomfortable, you rely on friends to come up with wild ideas and plan adventures.

split between the sense of exacerbated responsibility and the absolute need to rest my mind, I left the kids with conrad and embarked on a post lockdown flight to Barcelona.

walking 18k steps daily, side by side with girlfriends, talking about life, listening to familiar challenges of parenting, empathizing, resonating, laughing at our own expense, laughing out of tiredness. Going to bed past midnight and waking up at sunrise…

our first full day in Barcelona happened to be a Sunday. We walked to sagrada Família and wandered to the Sunday-mass entrance. We were ushered in silently and asked to keep quiet and not be tourists. We sat there and listened to a sermon in Spanish and beautiful music.

I arrived on this trip with a heavy heart. Burdened with sorrow. I felt estranged from my friends due to miscommunication. I chose to trust their heart and my heart and walk by faith. Staying when you feel like running away takes a lot of courage.

I sat there in church and tears welled up in my eyes. I asked God to show me what he wants to teach me on this journey. There must be something more to it than meets the eye. And cleanse any trace of bitterness and disappointment.

I sat with my thoughts, with my silence. The mask allowed for a rested face. Then there was room for genuine laughter and silliness.

the city was practically empty. June in Barcelona was perfectly warm given the cold spring we had in Europe.

I don’t know how expectations undermine connections, but I feel beyond blessed to be able to trust my friends’ heart. And walk by faith. And forgive. And believe.

to God be the glory!