Friends With Benefits

I spent the weekend at the home of dear friends. They needed to get a critical amount of work done. They have three children ages 1 and a half, six, and eight. The eight-year old is my God-daughter. Eve and I volunteered to play nanny for the weekend while my friends worked. I don't have a car that fits four kids so we stayed at home. It was 104 degrees. We were outside almost the whole time.

They ran around like molecules. I played in a great gloppy mud puddle with the baby. I got bombarded by every water toy in the universe. I showed the children how to stick the hose end of the hand pump into the giant inflatable pool and make it blow bubbles. We made our own lunch bags and had a picnic in a tent I put up. We made our own pizzas. We did so much more. I had so much fun with their kids and mine I actually felt bad their parents were inside working while I was doubled over with laughter. Then I felt great.

It felt fantastic to be able to help my dear friends just by enjoying their children, and enough water to require an ark. It made me feel great. That's what I mean when I say friends with benefits. That kind of friendship is an extraordinary benefit. I'm elated to report my friends accomplished huge amounts of work. I'm elated to have had the chance to give back to people whose friendship has given so much to me. And I'm deeply glad my daughter got to see an example of that kind of friendship. The kind with that sort of benefits.

I'm sorry if you were looking for something steamy in this post. Best I can offer is the part about it being 104 degrees.

And I hope, in a culture of social media and reeling with computer technology, that all of our children still find a way to make friends like this.

How about you? How are you showing your kids the nature of friendship?