There are moments when your life seems to simply suck. You wonder how much more can be put on your plate. Well if you are a 6yr boy staying at the Ryedome you can have 4 heaping adult servings of the “best mashed potatoes with fancy pink salt” on your plate and still have room for more.

Kids. They teach us so much. They teach us unquestionable love. They teach us limitless patience. They teach us bottomless joy. As adults we deal with quite a bit. Work, marriage, divorce, illness, the unknown and the constant fear if we are being good parents. Are we being too hard on them when they throw sand? Are we being too soft on them when they lie? Are we simply enough for these incredible little humans?

This was our life for a few days. Our dear friends Chris (C2) and my best friend Dani entrusted us with C2’s youngest son Lou for a few days. We all have that life long friend we made when we were 5 or so or at least I hope you all have. Beth aka blue bird is mine. And I can tell you some amazing stories if you have a few years. I was also lucky enough to have a summer trip each year out east to NJ without my parents while I was growing up to visit family. It’s a great feeling to provide that for Lou as well as E. At the ripe age of 7, E is developing his foundation of support.

One day I came home to homemade slime all over our porch. Chris told me they were doing an art project. 2 hrs of clean up later, the boys were back at it jumping on a broken trampoline from a log pile. Swords made from nails and wood out of a scrap pile. Attacks on random paper wasps. 3 mile 4 wheeler rides. Silly string fights. Swimming and mine craft. All things boys should be doing. All things that make a friendship. All things that build a foundation for the future to do the following….

Answer the phone when a friend or family is fearful of their child’s health.

Console a friend when their marriage is falling a part.

Listen as a friend tells you they no longer want to live without their parents who just returned to God.

Empathize with a friend who only sees his boys a short time of the year.

Understand that sometimes the only way to cope with terminal cancer is to get drunk.

Our friendships. Time. Experience. They bind us. This blonde little whirlwind of chaos came into our home and reminded me that all it takes is one weekend to set the stage for a lifetime of support. I hope that Evan continues to be that for Lou as he paddles through his life be it rough waters or calm brooks. I pray that Lou continues to remind Evan that laughter and silliness is part of being human no matter what age.

Your house can be grand and majestic but it doesn’t mean shit if the foundation is crap. Build your foundation on love, trust, truthfulness and kindness. Build it on friendship and family. Build it on homemade slime, stick swords and snakes. And take care of that foundation because when the rest of your home crumbles your feet will find stability on that strong and reliable foundation.