Male Friendships

Posted by: kimthanh

First off, I love my husband. Secondly, I appreciate the fact that my husband deals well with my being able to be friends with other men. Since I was young, I had always been able to relate better to boys, guys, and men. Perhaps some of that had to do with my being a tomboy or who knows what. Regardless, there are so many men in my life that I adore as a friends and/or brothers. This photo is one such person that I adore. His spirit is soft spoken, he's authentic and has a very wry sense of humor. But he is also very vulnerable, caring and very thoughtful. It's funny, because when I first met him, he actually didn't take to me too well. I was too huggy of a person, to open and I'm not sure what else, but I know he used to literally run away from me. At first, I thought it was a joke, but then very soon realized he was not playing a game. But over time and getting together in a group of friends, our relationship grew. He is just so funny, has a great smile and definitely one of those friends where if you don't see each other for a while or longer, we always return to where we left off. I so appreciate that and feel very fortunate that my husband, Michael, and I have a great deal of friendships that are that way. This friend's life inspires me though I can not put it into words. This friend has reached deep inside himself to be vulnerable, weak yet strong too, and yet a great example of how I wish some men would allow themselves to be, not always feel they need to be macho or just strong.

B. you're the greatest. Thanks for your friendship all these years. Look forward to your visit with us soon.


Love and Shalom,

Kim

Oh, that cute baby face! photo by kim

Posted by: kimthanh

Oh, Michael and I LOVE being uncle and aunts to so many nieces and nephews within our own families. And we so enjoy and love being called uncle and aunt to so many of our friend's kids. I feel so blessed, truly since we have not been able to have our own kids so far. I am such a kid lover and such a kid myself that I so enjoy their company, their laughter, their innocence, their amazing questions and memories of stories, and of course that baby smell!!! That itself is the closest thing to heaven for me.

Kids just keep you young, on your toes and rolling on the floor from laughter. Though most of my nieces and nephews are no longer babies, infants, toddlers, I still greatly enjoy them and love to see the look on their faces when I say something they are not expecting from their 37 year old aunt, as well as enjoy seeing how each of them is becoming their own being. There are definitely a few surprises in how they are growing up. I hope never to lose connection with any of them and always be there for them in some way that will be encouraging and/or supportive. They truly are the love of my life aside from my husband. I always look forward to my time with them. That's why I sit at the kids table with them. Adults are boring and kids, well they are just kids, in all their wonderful, wacky and nonsensical ways.

So, with each new child born into my life via my own siblings or my friends, I will always love, adore and enjoy their beautiful presence in my life. God has blessed me with the love of kids. That's why I'm still a kid. Woohoo!!!