A Tribute to Friendship

They say that people don’t change when they have children, but I disagree.  Take my friend Anne-Marie as an example. Back at University, she was the life and soul of any party; always dancing, always smiling; high on life. She was carefree, laid back; chilled out.

Now she’s mother to beautiful, little Lucas, and I think it’s fair to say that life is a little less carefree these days. First, Lucas wants yoghurt, then he wants custard, he wants crackers, then he wants olives. He throws the olives behind the sofa; he drops the crackers on the floor; he swipes the yoghurt off the table and spills the custard down the cupboard door. All this, Anne-Marie accepts with saintly patience, a patience she didn’t possess at University, because now she knows. She knows that she has been blessed with the most precious gift and no amount of olives behind the sofa or spilt custard is ever going to matter enough to change that fact.

So, people do change when they have children, they can look tired, go out less, and they can frequently be found, wiping, scooping and washing; but alongside this is something else, something which is so special that it is difficult for me to describe. Anne-Marie has a new light; a new happiness; a new perfect high and I have never loved and respected her more.