Friends

The older I get, I feel the wiser I get when it comes to dealing with people and experiences and just taking it all in-this thing called life. I am really starting to just unwind and breathe in life in a whole different way. I'm not sure what changed in me really, maybe it was after I turned 30, who knows. But I definitely know I'm dealing with a different "me" than the person I used to be. The old me would get so uptight and bitter about the most simple thing, whereas now, I just tend to brush it off, life's too short to be so angry. I am so happy with where I'm at right now. Of course everyone would change something about their life if they could, but since there's so much I have to be thankful for, I am just going with the flow, enjoying all of these different experiences and meeting different kinds of people.
I used to not be such a people person. I denied chances and opportunities to hang out with friends and attend events that people suggested. I wanted to be shut out, I felt it was sometimes good for my well-being to be alone, to be alone in my thoughts. And while I still like to be alone and I have plenty to occupy myself, I just really cherish the opportunity more than ever to be with people. A few people have really changed that in me, for the better.
One is my friend Cara. This is a woman who is so totally about helping the lives of other people, a person who does not think of herself before others, a woman who has countless people she can call "friend" and those people adore her in return. I see how this friend is a good friend to people and I want to be like her. She is great, and so so sweet. Totally comes naturally to those kinds of people.
And then there's Steph. Stephanie is another one of those amazing women who is not afraid to be who she is, and she holds nothing back. She is a friend I've known for a very long time, but every time we hang out, the bond gets stronger. We've been through loads of things together and while our lives are quite different these days, they are not that far off...she teaches me something new every time I am with her. This is another person who has taught me a lot about friendship, patience and strength. I am blessed to have her in my life.

The older I get, the more I really truly appreciate friendship and the company of women who you can not only call friend but sister as well.

Cheers to having great people in your life, it's friends that really hold you together when it counts!!

J