My oldest daughter and one of her best friends wanted to learn to quilt. They had limited time availability, as did I, but we found an open evening, and I planned a simple project.

There’s not a lot I could teach in our brief few hours, but they’d get the basics, and if it piqued their interest, they could learn more later.

It was fun to prep their projects, and I enjoyed putting together small gift bags with several essential supplies to get them started. But my favorite part of the experience was the simplicity of hanging out and having casual conversation.

I have always enjoyed being around my girls’ friends. As they’ve become adults, I appreciate even more as they invite me into their worlds. Being involved in their circles, getting to know their people, helps me know and invest in them, as well as in their friends. In the process, they influence me.

Being around our closest family and friends can become much richer when we’re willing to widen the circles. Our experiences and our perspective widen, which means our relationships get richer. As we stitched together that night, I considered how important it is to stitch together layers of our relationships. And I was filled with gratitude for the beautiful patchwork pieces of my life.