This post is late tonight. I’ve spent two nights with a new puppy, which means sleep has been limited and fitful. It also means I’ve spent two days filled with puppy breath and potty training and puppy romps around the house.
But today, I had some me time. I spent the late afternoon and evening hanging with my girlfriends, my sassy chicks. They get me. I can let my hair down and let the wine and sarcasm flow.
We all need those friends; the ones that allow us to try on every stitch of authenticity in our mental closet. They are the friends that help us discover who we really are when we strip away the masks. They cheer us on when our doubts get too big. They guard our secrets and talk sense when we need it. They listen, they share, they mourn and celebrate with us. They are the friends that live life up close with us and become our tribe.
They are the friends that fill our buckets and tonight, my bucket was filled with love and laughter.
I made my own card, because, sometimes, even Hallmark can’t capture my feelings.
That’s what today is: Day 20 of 30 days in November or 2/3 of the way through NaBloPoMo. Last night, I started reflecting on this journey while thinking about today’s post. What would I write? Did I have anything left? Then, I thought about what I’ve learned and the friends I’ve made along the way. Mostly, I thought about the friends. My heart swelled with admiration and appreciation.
I’ve been blessed to share this journey with some amazing women. We formed a rah-rah group to help each other, and everyday they make me feel supported. They motivate me to open my eyes, heart, and brain a bit wider. They nudge. They push. They inspire me to become a better writer and human. And, I am immensely grateful to count them among my friends.
Gratitude is a sentiment often written about on FB, Twitter, and personal journals; particularly during the month of November. Last night, while thinking about today’s post, I was hit by a wave of gratitude for all the gifts I’ve received (thus far) from my participation in NaBloPoMo this year. At the top of that list was my long-time and new-found friends.
Inspired and armed with the desire to make today’s post brief, I searched for a quote that would reflect my sentiments. I looked online. I pulled out my dusty copy of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. I even looked through my stack of emergency greeting cards. Nothing expressed what I was feeling in my heart.
Then, as I sat down to write this morning, a quick check of my email offered me this treasure:
“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it.”
Wilfred Peterson (1900-1995);
For all that have walked with me for the last 20 (and more!) days, I thank you. Each of you inspires me to leave this world a better place!
by Mary Lanzavecchia 