The Contagious

In life, you never know who you are going to meet, where you might meet them or what affect you may have on each other. And whether it turns out to be a long friendship, relationship, or just a pleasant conversation, the twists and turns these people bring to our lives are priceless.   This was my experience today as I sat and ate lunch at a popular little place.

This has been a time of transition for me, as many very difficult chapters have come to a close. This has left me a bit weary and a bit melancholy for the wear.  I am stepping back, taking a break, slowing down and recharging my batteries a bit. It has been a tough road, and sometimes we just need to take a breath, and dust ourselves off before starting back again.

The conversation with this woman came at exactly the right time. She was very friendly and enthusiastic. She was passionate about what she did, and her purpose. And as I talked with her, her passion and enthusiasm started to rub off on me.  And I started to smile a bit and laugh. And I felt better about my day, and my writing and my goals.

She is retired military, a life coach, divorce counselor and public speaker who wants to empower women and young people.  It was clear she does what she loves and is very grateful.  She was a breath of fresh air and a much needed reminder to this tired soul.

And when she left, she left me in a much better mood than I was before.  And then when I asked for my check, I found that she had already taken care of it. A very sweet gesture from one woman to another. And I will pay it forward to continue the good will.  And whether or not I ever meet this lady again, she inspired me to have a better day and a bigger smile.

And that’s the thing about life. You never know what might happen, who you might meet or the experiences you might have that are unplanned along the trip.  And would we really want it any other way?  We must always stay curious about life, those around us and the possibilities that are just around the corner.  We must always be aware that, in essence, we are all in this together, this journey of life.

We may get discouraged, we may fail 100 times or more, before even one success. We may have a hard time, we may be beaten down, weary, tired, feeling low.  But we can reach deep down inside, where the soul meets the spirit, and start the upward climb.  And when we get there, there will be others just like us, who have come a long way too.

And on a personal note, I took this as  Godwink, a little way to show me that I am on the right path, doing the right things.  And that everything will be OK and work out. I just need to be patient, have faith and hold on.

So join me, in my climb. Lets try and encourage each other together.

The Friendships that Bind

A word has been on my mind as of the last week, and what it means to me.  Friendship.  It means so many thing to so many people. And indeed, friendship can have meanings and manifestations for us in our own lives.

I believe that I am surrounded by the best friends in the world, and the past few weeks have really shown that to me very clearly.  The people in my life, that I am blessed to call friends, are fiercely loyal and help, in a heartbeat, when needed.  Not when it’s convenient, not when they can, or after this or that. But there, when you need it, no questions asked. In the time of despair, or darkness, or need.  They are right there, beside me, in the rain, late at night, with the laughter, wine, tears, support and love.

Yes they truly are my heart, and I am lucky to have them.

But they are not just the kind of friends who will be there for you, they are the kind of friends who love you, no matter what, warts and all, while still demanding that you be your best self.  This may sound contradictory, but it isn’t.  What do I mean?  I mean we all need, and are very lucky if we have, those kinds of friends who will call us out when needed. Those who will pull us aside when we get out of line, when we are not trying our best, when we are getting just a little outside of the acceptable level of crazy. They keep us grounded, and inspire us to be the best that we really, truly can be.

They are the ones who see us, in all of out faults and shortcomings, yet still believe in our potential. Which is why they won’t allow us to be anything less than what we can be. Yes, we may need some time to regroup, slow down, break down, melt down…but if we stay there too long, these are the friends that give us the kick in the pants we need to get ourselves out of there before we take up residence.

I have had my best friends call me out when making excuses, when I was not making the best choices, when maybe that dress did make me look…bad.  If my ego ever gets too big, my mouth too loud, my Grace too absent, my patience too thin…they will be right there, to tell me to put my big girl panties on, grow up, get over it, deal with it, snap out of it, grow out of it, break up with it, get it back, bury it, and what ever needs to be done to it. And I do the same for them.

In essence, your friends hold the mirror up to us, while over looking all the imperfections. They represent the best of everything we are, and what we wish we could be, while propelling us to be more than we thought might be. They are the space between the heartbeats, because in that is space is where live is contained.

I don’t know where I would be without these wonderful friends, who bravely follow, support, believe in, comfort…love.  In all my unloveable self. But they know, I am the same friend to them that they have shown themselves to be to me, we are that for each other. Friendship like this isn’t free, it must be mutually beneficial and reciprocated.

And as I sit at this keyboard and type, and sip a bit of wine, I realize just how blessed I am.  I didn’t always have such loyal wonderful people to call friends, for my heart to call home. And those are the friendships that bind.

And as I am transitioning from one area of my life to another, I am thankful to have them with me.