Alexis Senge JohnsonIt’s been a year of reminders about how precious the gift of life is and it’s given me time to reflect. About ten years ago I went through one of my biggest challenges and I learned exactly who my closest friends were. They stuck by my side through thick and thin and reminded me of my awesomeness each step of the way no matter how stubborn I was. Now is my turn to repay the favor and celebrate them.
Life changes can be hard regardless or whether they are positive (marriage, births, promotions) or not (divorce, depression, job loss). Being able to count on those closest to us to help us through it is sometimes all we’ve got. Those that I hold close to my heart are quite close and, since I don’t have any siblings, I consider them the family I chose to be related to through all the rough times.
Therefore, you can guarantee when the sh!t hits the fan that I’m there for you. What do you need? Wine? Chocolate? Xanax? A pint of ice cream? All of thee above? I’m on my way to help in any way I can. That being said, when the two friends closest to me started going through their own rough patches I knew that it was my turn to be their rock. Part of that may or may not include a weekend away to empower them or someone to hold them accountable as they find their stride again. Whatever it is I’m prepared to do it because, if I was in their shoes, they wouldn’t hesitate to do the same for me.
True friendships are one of the most precious relationships we can have, so don’t be surprised when I go out of my way to get others involved in pulling off surprises (oh yeah, I’m looking at you as you sit in the airport right now reading this) in order to bring a smile back to your face. That’s just who I am and I appreciate that my closest friends (hopefully) accept that part of me. We never know what’s to come in our lives, so honor those closest to you as often as you can.
