Kindred Spirits

Entry: kindred spirit

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a person who shares beliefs, attitudes, feelings or features with another

That's the dictionary definition of a kindred spirit.  

My definition is someone who "gets you".   A person who shares common interests, who's easy to be with, who makes you feel better and helps you become better by spending time with them.  A person who makes you laugh or cry and whatever the emotion - you're comfortable with each other in that moment.  This person is so much like you, you find you color coordinate your outfits, even when your not trying to or you realize you are thinking the same thing at the same moment and you don't even have to say it.   A look or gesture can take the place of words and be totally understood.  You're perfectly "at home" with this person no matter where you find yourself and you just know they love you, exactly as you are.

I've been blessed with many wonderful friends over the years, but kindred spirit friendships, well those are extra special and I could count them on both hands.  I've found that Heavenly Father has always provided such a person in my life when I really needed them.  He knows women need to walk through life with other women.  Life is fluid and ever changing. But the thing about  kindred spirits, is no matter how far apart you live or how long it's been since you've spent time together, when you reconnect, you pick right up where you left off.  As if it had only been yesterday when you were having your first lesson on how to eat an artichoke together or having summer camp in each other's homes, holding new babies or crying at gravesides, strolling through museums and castles, or picking fruit and making pasta.  Yes, it's a beautiful thing, these special friendships.

This year, I've been blessed with a new friend.   What's been surprising to me is how quickly our friendship developed and how completely "at home" I feel with her.  Last year when I went on my trip to the Holy Land, my sister and I were thrown together with a bus full of people who were complete strangers.  In less than a week, we were no longer strangers and many of us had become friends.  You can go here to meet some of them.  Thanks to Facebook and blogging, we're even closer now.  How often do you meet someone, spend a week traveling though the middle east with them and have them open their home to you, for as long as you want to stay?!?   Well that's what happened.  I know it seems crazy, but I count it as one of those tender mercies from the Lord. I don't think these things happen by accident.  Once again, He has brought into my life another wonderful friend and the more time we spend together the more I just know, she's a kindred spirit.  

On my recent trip to Utah for Education Week, I stayed with Jeannee and her husband LaRon.  Aren't they a cute couple?  They are both just great and I had so much fun while I was with them.  I know it's not easy to have a houseguest, but they were gracious and hospitable in every way and I felt perfectly at home with them.  

Whether we were riding through the canyons or sharing ice cream,

working in the kitchen, making Sunday rolls

or home made pizza (yes, I will share this recipe for BBQ pizza with you soon) or

walking through her gardens (can you believe how beautiful those tomato plants are?),

gathering vegetables (she wears aprons just like I do)

we were having a great time.  I felt like I was learning from her all the time.  I have new recipes for pizza, granola and granola bars, hamburger buns, homemade ice cream, pumpkin butter and bean salad to can for winter.  She taught me how to knit dishcloths that I love using and making.  She introduced me to an electric pressure cooker, new attachments to my Bosch bread machine, ice cream maker and new equipment for making juice for canning.  My Christmas wish list is complete.  We went to church together, to parties, to the movies,  strolled through art exhibits and attended classes where we learned lots of neat stuff.  We talked about callings and families and adult children in a relaxed way and the whole time, I felt completely "at home" with her, like we had really known each other all along.   Isn't that just amazing?  And her husband LaRon, well he's pretty neat too, a perfect gentleman who refused to let me pay for anything and opened my door every time we went somewhere in the car.  They both spoiled me terribly and they shouldn't have done that, because of course, now I'm going to want to come back again!!!  Thanks LaRon and Jeannee, I sure love you guys!