I painted this greeting card to give to one of my marble jar friends, a term I picked up from Brene Brown's new book Daring Greatly. Marble jar friends are the kind that keep putting marbles of trust and encouragement, reciprocity and boundaries, and all those good friend type things, into your metaphorical friendship jar.
Like when they know something sad has happened and you are home alone and they come and sit on the bed with you while you're still in your pyjamas crying, acting like it's the thing they wanted to do most with their morning. Like when you've just coughed up another lungful of blood and your kids are scared and your husband too and you just want someone safe to lean on for a little while and you know exactly who to call. Like when you feel you're alone and stupid and useless and they sit you down in their lounge with a hot cup of tea and plate of chocolate and tell you how amazing they think you are, and how much what you have done means to them.*
Like when you paint them a wobbly jar with funny looking marbles, and they understand that it's the most hearfelt way you knew to say thank you.
Those kinds of friends.
*A conglomerate of some of my favourite things that different friends have done in the last few years, and the pneumonia that caused the bleeding was a while ago now and well healed. Apologies for worrying anyone.
