Hello, lovely readers! On Sunday, Saige and Julie drooped in for a visit.
Because Julie wasn't exactly sure when they would arrive, I was busy washing dishes. Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Saige! I'm so glad you're here!" I greeted my friend.
"Thanks for inviting us!" Saige warmly replied.
"Where is Julie?"
"Oh- she isn't felling well, so her parents dropped me off and drove to Walgreen's to get some Tylenol or something." Saige said. "She'll be here any minute."
Ding-dong.
"Hello, Julie!" How are you feeling?" I asked, opening the door.
"Not so well. I went to the doctor earlier this week, because my stomach hurt, and there's something wrong with it, so they're going to do a bunch of tests." Julie said unhappily.
"Chrissa and I will definitely pray for you." I told Julie.
"Hey, what's-" Chrissa said, walking into the room. "Julie! Saige! You're here!"
"Yes we are!" Saige agreed, laughing.
"Would you like a snack?" I offered.
"Like what?" Chrissa asked hopefully.
"Perhaps popcorn?" I suggested.
"Sure!"
Julie and I climbed upstairs, and we popped popcorn.
"What do you want to do?" Julie asked, snacking on the popcorn. "Besides talk, I mean."
"What if we did a S.A.H.O. meeting?" Chrissa said.
"That's a great idea! Let's set it up!" Julie said excitedly.
Here's our official S.A.H.O. sign.
On our whiteboard, we each signed our names.
"Hey- I have a idea!" Julie said. "What if we wrote all our pen pals and made them members of S.A.H.O too! We would have so many more members!"
"Um, Julie, don't forget that S.A.H.O. stands for St. Augustine Hang Out." Chrissa reminded. "How can pen pals, who live in different states, hang out in St. Augustine?"
"They wouldn't be the like, official members, but kind of different, you know?" Julie explained. "Okay, I could write Willow and Brooke, and who could you write, Saige?"
"Maybe Juliet or McKenna?" Saige said. "Oh- not your cousin." she added, seeing Chrissa's confused face.
"Well, I have my cousin Libby, my friend Lexie, and Kit P." Chrissa listed off. "They are already my pen pals."
"What about you, Elizabeth?" Julie asked, a dry-erase marker in her hand.
"My cousin, Marie-Grace, and Lexie's sister, Melody." I replied. "Both Chrissa and I are pen pals with Kit P."
"Okay, now let's get our stationary and write some letters!" Julie said.
"Wait a second, Julie." Chrissa cautioned. "I didn't say I wanted to do this."
"Why? Don't you think it's a good idea?" Julie replied.
"Well... It's just that you're being kind of bossy about it." Chrissa said.
"No I'm not!" Julie replied, her eyes flashing.
"See, you're even being bossy right now!"
"Well, you're just being inconsiderate." Julie retorted.
"No I'm not!" Chrissa defended. By now, both Chrissa and Julie were facing each other, glaring.
"You are just jealous that I thought of it and you didn't." Julie defended herself.
"I am not, because I think it was a terrible idea." Chrissa said angrily.
"WHAT!? You are so mean, Chrissa Edwards! I thought that you were my true friend!" Julie complained. "I now see that you aren't really. I never want to talk to you AGAIN!"
"From the way you're acting, I never want to you again!" Chrissa retorted angrily. "Good bye!"
Julie stalked away towards the door and thew back the beach towel, and disappeared. During their argument, Saige or I had not been able to get a word in between Julie and Chrissa's verbal fight. So, I slipped out to talk with Julie.
"I don't want to talk." Julie resentfully said.
Putting a hand on her shoulder, I told my friend, "Julie, you know that we shouldn't let the sun set on our anger."
"Yea, because if the sun was hitting our anger, it would make it more hot." Julie said, not really paying attention.
"You know what I meant, Julie." I told her gently. After a moment of silence, ...
"It's all her fault." Julie started quietly, growing louder. "I had this fun idea, and she just cut me down. She even said that it was terrible!"
"I am sure Chrissa said that in the extreme heat of her anger, and didn't really mean it." I said. "When you are full of anger like you both were, you are liable to say mean things."
"I know. But what am I supposed to do?" Julie asked, turning around to look into my eyes for the first time.
"Apologizing is a good place to start." I offered.
"Okay." Julie sighed.
Meanwhile - int the other room another conversation was developing..."Do you want to tell me about your feelings?" Saige asked Chrissa.
"I'll tell you this: I hate being bossed around! Since I'm the youngest in our family, everyone bosses me around!" Chrissa exploded. "Just because I'm younger doesn't mean they can tell me what to do! It's rare that people listen to what I have to say." She added in a quieter tone. Just then, Julie and I walked back into the clubhouse.
"I'll apologize as soon as Chrissa does." Julie said stiffly. With a small sigh, my sister said,
"Julie, I'm sorry I called your idea terrible. I didn't really mean it, I just am very annoyed when I feel like people are telling me what to do."
"Wow! You actually did!" Julie commented, sounding surprised. "I'm sorry too, Chrissa. I didn't mean to boss you around. Friends again?"
"Friends again." Chrissa replied, standing up and hugging Julie, who returned it.
Relationships are like plants; they need work to keep growing. I'm so glad that Chrissa and Julie resolved their disagreement.
Have you ever had a fight with your friend that needed to be resolved?
