Why "counseling" isn't a four letter word...

I see a counselor.

Go ahead, judge me. I'll wait...

An Evolving Understanding of Friendship...

My best friend growing up was someone who I was in school with from 1st grade on. She was my other half. She was a part of my family and I felt comfortable just walking into her house unannounced. We went through friends, boyfriends, breakups, bad grades, and personal trouble together as a team. We traded more friendship necklaces and bracelets than I can count.

Then we went to college.  And we didn't talk nearly as often as we should have. We've stayed remotely connected and I even got to help her celebrate marrying her best friend last year, but I hate the fact that I didn't do more to stay connected to her after leaving our hometown. She has been a treasure in my life...still is, really. When we do find ourselves getting together for lunch, or texting, or even just posting on Facebook, we pick up right where we left off and I love that. She will always be my forever friend. She will always hold that sacred place in my heart.

My adult friends have meant something different, but are the same kind of special. A lot of people have come and gone. I've lost touch with them, they've moved away, or we've had our differences that have caused us to fall away from each other. But then there's the ones who are still there, part of my every day life, teaching me, pushing me, and holding me up when I need it.

Turns out, 10 years is a long time...

I have my 10 year high school reunion this weekend. Let's just stop there for a second and dwell on how weird that is while admiring my senior picture head tilt...

 

To Stir Up...

A few weeks ago, I posted about emotions and being honest with them and not trying to hide them. I promised more posts on that topic, yet here I am, weeks later...still struggling with how to be honest and open.  There are so many thoughts swimming in my head about this, so many emotional struggles that I'm wrestling with at the moment, so many things that I'm still learning, that I've been fighting with what words to say.  So bear with me while we figure this out together...

I talked briefly in that last post about realizing that my emotions are not a curse, not a hindrance, but instead are a gift; something that makes me more like my Creator, not something that pushes me further from Him. That, I think, has been the biggest lesson I've learned on this journey of emotional honesty.

Schafers House Party

We like to have dance parties at our house - a lot - you know, because we're cool like that. I can't think of a day with M&m where we haven't broken into song and busted a move at least once. My life has turned into a musical, just like I always wanted it to...

Tonight was no different - Mason wanted to have a party after dinner, so I turned on our old standby - a Killers concert that we recorded on Palladia a few years ago. We recorded it for Randal and I, but a very young Mason responded to it and busted out some sweet dance moves for his new favorite band, so we've continued to hold onto it and the kids both still enjoy it.

Go ahead, say what you're thinking - "I wish someone would throw a Killers dance party for me!"