Hello friends, I cannot believe another week is almost over. This week I have been doing a lot of thinking (a dangerous past time, I know!). I have been thinking of all the people that have crossed my path in these recent years and how much I have regretted ever meeting them and then at the same time people that I have treasured from the moment we connected. There are real life people that have changed me and Internet friends that have completely made a difference in my life. There are people that have hurt me and people that have made me want to be a better person. There have even been people that made me wonder what good it could have done to make me go through all that hurt. Then one day out of nowhere, I got the answer from my 8 year old. At dinner she thanked the good Lord for the people she met, even if they were mean to her, because it taught her how NOT to be. All of a sudden, the reality of that simple statement came and hit me and I realized how right she was. I met these people, so I could learn to be better, to not stoop to their level and mainly to not inflict the hurt that they did.
This woman pictured above is an AMAZING WOMAN, she taught my 2 oldest children Kindergarten and has ever since been shaping my life. Do you ever meet those people that make you want to BE BETTER? She is that person, she has softened my heart and made me stop and think. She forgives when people do the unthinkable, she loves those that betray her, she always believes that things happen for the greater good and it is all as the Lord intended it all to be. She is everything that a person should be with a heart the size of the Rockies and I am glad and honoured to call her my friend.
Then there are my Internet friends, those of you reading right now. You do not know just how much you have changed me, molded me. Those people that take a minute to leave a comment, send an e-mail or a Facebook message. The people that read and take my advice or even just those that visit here. It warms my heart to realize that there are people that I am having an effect on. When I go through major life choices there are a handful of friends that I discuss it with online before I even tell anyone in my 'real life'. Though we have never met, there are people that can lend comfort in the written word, better than someone can in real life. If my Facebook page is ever quiet for more than a couple days, I have friends there that write to ask if I am okay, message me to inquire if I need anything but mainly just reaching out. THAT amazes me, that WARMS my heart and makes me want to reach out and hug them all. Most recently, when I stressed about our recent homeschooling decision, an Internet friend calmed me down and encouraged me. At that same time, I was inundated with comments and messages that were shocked and surprised that I was not already homeschooling, telling me I was a natural and cheering me in so many ways that gained the confidence to know it was going to be alright! It was all of you people out there that made me realize I just made the best decision in my life. Thank you for being here, for joining me as this blog evolves.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting a woman that will forever be in my life. Yes, I am saying that now and I know it's the truth. She is strong, beautiful and humble, not to mention someone that can make me laugh when I am near tears. I look forward to speaking with her daily and a quick meet up for coffee, easily turns into an all night event that often gets us kicked out of places way past closing. She is the type of woman, though much younger than I, that seems so naive but in reality she is just wise beyond her years. She sees the good in the world and sees the good inside everyone. She is that person that can see someone for who they want to be, not who they are. We became instant friends and I hope that her goodness rubs off on me. She is aptly named Angel, and I truly believe that she is an Angel walking amongst us, someone to bring peace and laughter to our days. I often wonder if I befriend these people that I wish to be like, in hopes that I can be shaped into a better person, a person in their likeness. It amazes me how much the people we meet can change us within seconds.
Of course with the good, there are always the bad. You know, those people that you wish you had never met. The people that leave a sour taste in your mouth, those that speak a good game but cheat in order to win. You know the type, the people that make you wish you second guess everything in your life and of course *gasp* make you wonder for the teeny, tiniest of seconds if they are possibly right. Yes, there is a reason we met them, but darn it sometimes you wish you hadn't. I am beginning to realize that though people like that changed me, they changed me for the better. Though they hurt me, they made me who I am today. What is funny is that these people are often the first to criticize who you are and what you are but all they did was have a hand in making you that person they despise so much. Don't worry about the people that are always wanting to comment, fight, keep going behind your back, the problem they have with you is actually the problem they are fighting with themselves. Stop and think about that and then be thankful for having met them. Let the bitterness fade away and move on. No need to reach out to them or force them into your life, just thank them for teaching you and move on.
I have so many more people that I feel so good about, but I am just discussing these past few years. Some people come in and out of my life so quickly, I hardly remember their names but the imprint they left on my heart and soul will be there forever. Others come to stay and I am so thankful for them.One such woman I started working with at the beginning of the year (during my brief stint into the working mom world) and I love her. She is a strong, independent, amazing mother and person that can always make me laugh until I cry, even hours after we have spoken and someone that can make me stop and think. This job ended up stressing me out more than needed and I left with a horrible taste in my mouth, regretting that I ever bothered to try anyway...but then I stop and realize that had I not tried, our paths would not have crossed in the way that they did. We both left that job on the same day and we are changed for it but we are also better and closer. I must keep reminding myself that there is good in everything that happens, even the bad. It is often a little wake up call. I must also remember the above quote, to 'be the person I would like to meet'. It's time to change the world into a happier place, wear a smile and give compliments to strangers, share your brightness and watch it catch on. A smile could change someones day, a compliment could radiate within them for days and even weeks at a time. How do I know this? Because people I have met have made me feel those things, on days when I thought it would never get better. Strangers and friends alike, let us all bond together in changing our little corner of the world. In Sy Miller’s words:'Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Let It Begin With Me'.
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