I truly had no intention of blogging today. I was going to get my Quotes ready for tomorrow, but I didn't have anything for today. Than events that have taken place over the last 24 hours have inspired me to write something.
There are people that come into our lives everyday. Every single one of those people will mean something. It might be for a brief encounter that lasts but a moment or it could very well be a lifelong friendship that you cherish forever. No matter if it is for the briefest of moments or a lifetime you should ALWAYS enjoy the time you have. You never know who that friend for life might be.
I've meet some pretty rotten people in my life but flip the coin and I've meet some pretty fan-freaking-tastic people too. Some were just a fleeting dance in a now distant memory and others have remained like a moth mesmerized to an eternal flame. There were some that burned liked acid when the dance was over and there are some I'm still dancing with. Hopefully you understand where I'm coming from.
Some of you reading this know me and pretty much know my friends and our story, but for those of you who don't I'm gonna give a brief background so you understand.
I still talk to a handful of people I knew as a child. I am grateful for these people. They remind everyday where I came from and how the road to who I am now started. One of my oldest and dearest friends is Travis. Travis and I met in the 3rd grade and I when we first met, I wanted nothing to do with him. But than I got to know him and understand his story. Everyone in this world has a story. Some are just more elaborate than others, some are more bumpy than others and some are just ordinary. My friend Travis's story is pretty freaking spectacular. When he was born he was born with one lung and his heart on the wrong side of his chest (that is his story to tell). His parents were told he'd never make it, but here we are 32 years later and celebrating a 26 year friendship. There are three friends from the 3rd grade that I still keep in contact with on a somewhat regular basis thanks to modern technology and Facebook. I met Jara and Rachel at the same time and they became my best girl friends. Jara is actually the first friend I made when we moved to Grand Rapids and it's all because of my mom. As we all know as girls grow we become more picky and more fickle. Though we remained friends our friendship evolved and changed. By the end of my 6th grade year while yes we were still great friends we had branched out and had different friends. Here entered Emma. We hit it off instantly even though we were a grade apart. From the middle or so of my 6th grade year until my family moved to Florida after my 8th grade year we were inseparable. Even with her moving 20-30 minutes away we spent as much time together as we could. You know what I'm talking about. Those weekends were you spent the whole weekend at one or the others house, or over the summer where you spent as many days as the others' parents would let you. But like everything in life our friendship changed and evolved into what we have today. She and I still keep in touch and we still talk, but we were childhood best friends. Now I understand what is when they say you pick your family and she is part of that. :D Now during my 7th and 8th grade year I met another totally different group of people. We all went to what you call magnet schools and the one I went to was a preforming arts school. I still talk to quite a few of the people I met during that time. Facebook is a fabulous thing.
Enter the next stage of my life.... high school! I'm a military brat and between my 8th and 9th grade year we moved to Florida. We drove down and Emma came down with us for about a month. We did all kinds of things before she left. It was the last time we spent any significant time together. Because I knew no one, my mother thought it would be great for me to go to summer school so I could meet some people. So I took newspaper over the summer and hung out with Juniors and Seniors. LOL! I didn't meet my first friend that was my age until about a month, month and a half into the school year. That is when I met one of my two besties, Leslie Anne. We've been friends since Sept/Oct of 1994 and yes we are still besties. We still hang out, our children hang out, ect. I also meet a lot of wonderful people during high school. Some I would call acquaintances, some friends and some family. Michael, Matt, Daniel (not my husband), Sharra Lynn and Leslie Anne. I still talk to them all and they are all family. Daniel is my oldest son's Godfather and Sharra Lynn is my Middle son's Godmother. Michael and I while we don't talk all the time he is still family. We were the best of friends in High School. Matt has come and gone and we've always remained friends. In fact our children (my younger ones) are really close to his daughters age and I hope they are great friends. Now I haven't forgotten anyone, those are just the ones I call my close family. I have others that a great friends and than those that I rarely talk to anymore. One of my sweetest friends from high school is Karen. We still talk on a very regular basis and hopefully when she comes home for a visit this year she'll get to meet the children. I also have my black brother, Marcellus. He and I met via my job on the base. He was/is a Marine and we became great friends and now he is family. Even though his lives in the dreaded Chi-Town. LOL! Kelly I love you too, though we don't get to hang out and talk nearly as often. My dear friend Scott I wish we talked more. I miss you! I am probably forgetting people and later I will kick myself in the butt, but we all know how that goes.
Next came college/life in general and let me tell you something I've meet so really awesome people and I'm very thankful they are in my life. I met Ethan's Godmother at this time and she is now married to his Godfather Daniel. :D LOL! I also met the beautiful and wonderful Kimmie. How the two of us became friends is beyond me, but friends we are. We can go months ( I mean months) without talking and with one phone call it's like we never stopped talking. I love you girl!
My trip to Washington and having my beautiful son Ethan is the next stage in my crazy life. I met many people up there, some of which I still talk to and others I'm glad I don't. Schimmy & Trinelle, thank you for being my rocks through everything that happened up there. Love you guys!
I came home and pretty much stayed to myself and didn't make very many friends. Than I met a group of younger girls and I still keep in touch with them and they've turned into some pretty wonderful people. One of them even has a set of twins a couple of months younger than mine. But truthfully I didn't try and find or met any new people and for that I will never know if there was someone out there that could have been a great friend.
Through my oldest son's school I have met some even more wonderful people, some of which I call friend, a couple I barely call acquaintances and a couple that are now family. Pam, you have been my savior this past year and half helping me out getting Ethan two and from school.
Now, 4 children and a husband later I have a very wonderful group of friends and a fantastic family support system. There is one person I Have to make sure I say something about and that is Jacob. God placed him in our life at just the right moment. I was going insane with the four children and he needed us just a much as us needing him. Again, God did a good job. Jacob has become such a huge part of our family. The boys love him and so do we. Daniel and him think of each other as brothers and he's just Jacob for me. When we need him, he is always there and he loves our boys. I couldn't ask for a better friend. You have become my best guy friend Jacob next to my husband. I love you and am very thankful God placed you in our lives.
The reason I write this, is so people understand that like everything else in life friendships/relationships change and evolve and you either work at and keep the friendship or they slip away to the sidelines or the crowd to never be heard from again.
There are some friendships that are just bad for you and when the dance ends you jump off and run screaming into the night. I've had a few of those and I know you have too. Those ones where you do things that are not in your character and you than get into some massive trouble. I pray my children never go through that but I know they will and I know it will make them a better friend to the true friends they have.
Last night I hung out with a wonderful family and I'm so glad they took a chance to get know my family and Sharra Lynn's family. They were awesome and I can see a great and beautiful friendship coming out of it. Something that will last a while and grow with time. Jennifer, I hope that you see it the same way.
Remember to keep your friends and family close to your heart at all times and say I love you when you/they leave or you/they hang up. You never know what tomorrow is going to bring and for that you should always so I love you.
I think I've babbled enough and yes I know to some of you it's just that. Hopefully though you will see a little bit more of me and my unique self. I have no brothers and sisters that I did not choose. They are the best kind.
Have a wonderfully blessed day my readers and we'll catch you on the flip side.
Love you girl!
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