Sunday, November 23, 2014

10 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 5

Y'all... one thing about having kids that I just never really wrapped my head around is that they seem to alter time.  Before you know it a whole day is gone, you're exhausted, and you haven't done half the crap you planned to do.  This is not a complaint - kids are just require all of your attention.  It's good to be that focused and to apply all of oneself. I just hadn't realized it was required.

So, on to my ACTUAL post of thankfulness for yesterday - the planned one, not the one I kept muttering as I shopped with a 13 year old girl which went "I am so glad I'm not 13 anymore.  I am so glad I'm out of this phase.  Mostly, I'm so glad my mother didn't abandon me or murder me in the streets some days because I recognize this behavior completely..."

10 Days of Thankfulness:
Day 1: Me!
Day 2: My Hubby!
Day 3: My Immediate Family!
Day 4: My Extended Family!

Day 5:  My Friends!

I don't include my friends in general with my extended family.  I know that's bucking the current trend of considering everyone you've known longer than 5 seconds a friend, but it's not how I was raised to think.  I clearly remember my mother telling me that my real friends were the people, should I be homeless tomorrow, who would take me in no questions asked.

Since then, I've expanded that criteria to include people who will be honest with me, even when I may not really want to hear it.  Also, people who share my work ethics and morals.  We can differ wildly in many areas, but I find that we can't truly be friends if we don't share honesty, ethics and morals.

That being said, I have some AMAZING friends.  Not just nice friends or good friends, but AMAZING.  We're talking people they should make movies about.  People that are pure charitable souls down to their toes.  I have been blessed to attract and maintain relationships with people who have a heart to improve the world around them.

I have to say that as a Christian, I try and see the work of the Lord in everything and I see it in my friendships.  From those who are Christian to the Jewish to the Pagan to the Atheist, there are some amazing people in my life.  We may not agree on our faith, but beyond my praying for them and letting God work through me in their lives - that's not my concern.  We don't make choices for others, nor do we judge them for the choices they make.  For those people that believe I should not have friendships with people of different faiths, sorry - but that's just not the attitude I was led to believe.

I am POSITIVE there are choices I make they don't agree with, and who knows some of them might be praying really hard for me in the background for something to change in my life.  It doesn't change how we treat, support or love one another.

That's the true basis of love,in my opinion, you love the way you want to be loved.  You give the way you'd want to receive.  You find friends that are the kind of friend you are.  The people I call friends are not only the people I laugh with, work alongside, dream amongst, and debate life - they are the people that help me work through stuff my own brain can't process sometimes.  They lift me up when I'm too weak or broken to do it for myself.  I learn from each and every one of them.  I see beauty and learn the world through different eyes on a daily basis because of these people.  I am humbled and taught charity as well.  For ALL of these things, I am thankful.  I don't care to imagine the kind of person I would be without these daily lessons.

I am BLESSED beyond measure in the people I truly call friends.  I have some great acquaintances, buddies, and professional relationships as well (some of them I expect will be true friendships with time) but I can tell you that should I be homeless tomorrow, I have a lot of people I can call on.

What's amazing to me that for all I've learned from my family and all the reasons I love my husband, stepchildren, and family members - my friends have helped shape me into the person they all love and respect in return.  In a thousand tiny little ways, they have kept me from the danger that is my own mind (we creative people are a little zany at times).

Now, tell me that's not divine!

What are you thankful for today? Err...yesterday :)

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