So, I had a CGF Day last Saturday. Jen came over Friday night and the three of us (Sheila, Jen, and yours truly) played Scrabble. She stayed the night and then we left in the morning as Sheila happily waved goodbye to us as we pulled out of the driveway.
Just a couple of thoughts about it since this blog emphasizes cgf's.
We did want to do the hiking but we decided early on to spontaneously respond to what the day brought us as we encountered particular things while we were going there. We ended up having a lot fun doing that. Once we arrived in Baraboo, we stopped by Papa Bear's Northwood Store in Baraboo, Wi. just for the fun of it. It specializes in furniture appropriate for log cabins and homes out in the north woods. One room was full of mounted moose, deer, fox, etc. We don't have stores like that in the Chicago suburbs. They had bear rugs draped over sofas. Jen, of course, teased me about my "fuzzies" (if you didn't know this about me before--I have a thing about touching fuzzies--I get immediate goose bumps when I touch pure cotton or something like that). The bear rugs, though, passed the fuzzy test. Jen saw this beautiful greeting card with a crane (the bird) on it--and she, as a good, authentic, cross-gender friend immediately blurted out to me when she saw it, "Oh Dan, you got to get this for Sheila!!!" Now I say this is a beautiful expression! Its always been true of both of my close cross-gender friendships. I always get recommendations from either Jen when we are out together on getting something for Sheila! Jen #2 in this immediate context, when we've been out and about in public when Sheila is not around--if she sees something she thinks I should get for Sheila--she immediately points it out and says you should consider getting this for Sheila--she would like this.
Now, its just a simple thing (like this greeting card) but it testifies to a natural beauty about cross-gender friendship when involves one of the spouses. Jen knows Sheila's tastes and likes and when we come across something, she'll recommend to me if I haven't seen yet, or thought about. I think that's a beautiful thing in close cross-gender friendship--simple, but beautiful. It's one of the small but rich things I think--if one looks for the existence of organic beauty with two different unions (marital union & friendship union) of what it looks like, this would have to be simple but beautiful testimony of it. And it certainly brings a benefit for me the guy when it comes to looking for gifts or something for Sheila!!! :-) It's simple but beautiful. I was struck again a few minutes after Jen showed me the card of the simplicity and beauty of the act.
Here are some modern evangelicals quaking in their boots over close cross-gender friendships--and yet, there is such rich, organic beauty of thoughtfulness in such friendships. I share this simple thing because I think it gives testimony of goodness and beauty in close cross-gender friendships where spouses are involved. In their knowledge of Sheila, I can't tell you how much both Jens "consider" her when we are doing something as friends together--"Oh, Dan, Sheila would like this!'
Now, I have done things with my guy friends, hung with them etc. but I don't think any of them have seen something--and said that to me--"Oh Dan, Sheila would love this!" Of course, it is very rare to get guys in stores other than hardware, sporting goods, or computer stores. hehehehe
Later on in the day, Jen comes across this brochure that boasts it has every kind of crane in existence with guided tours. She immediately says to me, "Oh Dan, you know, if you're thinking about taking Sheila somewhere during the fall, she would love to see these crane and the colors up here at the same time." She's got Sheila's number about colors, going north to look at colors in the fall, and beautiful birds.
Jen and I ended up going to the circus museum in Baraboo--the Ringling Brothers made their home in Baraboo until 1918.
Jen wanted to take a picture of me inside one of their relics:
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